CLEP Western Civ I

Answer: E - Emperor Romulus Augustulus was the last emperor of the Western Roman Empire, and he was deposed in 476 CE by Odoacer, a Germanic chieftain. Romulus Augustulus’ father, Orestes, a Roman military magistrate, deposed the previous emperor, Julius Nepos, in 475. Orestes installed his teenage son (Romulus Augustulus) as the new emperor, but he mostly controlled the empire himself and used his son as a puppet. Romulus Augustulus’ ascension was technically illegal, and many refused to recognize him as the rightful emperor, which only intensified regional instability. In 476, Odoacer, the leader of a Germanic tribe in Italy, led the uprising that ultimately toppled the empire. Orestes was executed and Romulus Augustulus was forced to abdicate and flee the empire.