Patricians and emperors : the last rulers of the Western Roman Empire / Ian Hughes.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Hughes, Ian, author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Emperors--Rome--History.

Emperors.

Romans--Europe, Western.

Romans.

Vandals--History.

Vandals.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (313 pages, 30 unnumbered pages of plates) : illustrations, maps

Place of Publication:

South Yorkshire, [England] : Pen & Sword Military, 2015.

Summary:

This engaging historical narrative of the fall of the Western Roman Empire focuses on the individuals in power during its final forty years. The fall of the Western Roman Empire was a chaotic but crucial period of European history. To bring order to our understanding of this time, Patricians and Emperors offers a concise chronology with comparative biographies of the individuals who wielded significant power. It covers the period between the assassination of Aetius in 454 and the death of Odovacer during the Ostrogoth invasion of 493. The book is divided into four parts. The first establishes context for the period, including brief profiles of generals Stilicho (395-408) and Aetius (425-454), and explains the nature of the empire at the time of its initial decline. The second details the lives of general Ricimer (455-472) and his great rival, Marcellinus (455-468), by focusing on the stories of the numerous emperors that Ricimer raised and deposed. The third deals with the Patricians Gundobad (472-3) and Orestes (475-6), and also explains how the barbarian general Odovacer came to power in 476. The final part outlines and analyses the Fall of the West and the rise of barbarian kingdoms in France, Spain, and Italy.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (ebrary, viewed February 19, 2016).

ISBN:

9781473866447

1473866448

9781473866454

1473866456