Germanic warrior who destroyed the W Roman empire, and became the first barbarian king of Italy (47693). An able ruler, he was challenged and overthrown by the Ostrogothic King Theodoric (48993) at the instigation of the E Roman Emperor, Zeno.
Odoacer (435–493), also known as Odovacar (Germanic Audawakrs, meaning watchful of wealth), was King of Italy (476-493), and deposed the last Western Roman Emperor.
Early life
Odoacer was the son of the Scirian chieftain Edeko, who was a Germanic vassal chieftain at the court of Attila. All the Germanic vassals of the Huns broke free after the Battle of Nedao in 454, where the Germanic vassals (Gepids, Ostrogoths, Scirians, Herules and Rugians) unleashed a crushing defeat against the Huns and Alans. Parts joined the Visigoths, other parts joined the Ostrogoths and the rest of the Scirians united with a part of the Herules and became a foederati of the Western Roman Empire. Odoacer, was a regular warrior in the foederati, but as the son of Edeko, always remained a nobleman among the Scirii.
Leader of the foederati
In 470, Odoacer was appointed leader of the foederati. In 475, Orestes was appointed Magister militum and Patricius by Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos. Orestes was therefore made head of the Germanic Foederati of Italy (the Scirian - Herulic foederati). Orestes promised the foederati a third of the Italic Peninsula if they led the revolt against Emperor Nepos. With the emperor far away, Orestes elevated his 15 year old son Romulus to the rank of Augustus, so that the last Western Roman emperor is known as Romulus Augustulus. Odoacer was the leader of the revolt against Orestes. After the revolt, the Germanic foederati, the Scirians and the Herules, as well as a large segment of the Italic Roman army, proclaimed Odoacer rex Italiae ("king of Italy"). In 476, Odoacer advanced to Ravenna, capturing the city and the young emperor. In the same year Odoacer renounced the meaningless title of Emperor, which was a wise move that avoided a conflict with Constantinople. Odoacer was then confirmed as rex Italiae by Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno later in 476.
King of Italy
In 476, Odoacer, officially became the first Germanic King of Italy and a new era began. Odoacer was an Arian Christian and is said to have been illiterate. The warriors and the families in Odoacer's foederati received lands in Italy and became beneficiaries of a special tax policy. Odoacer retained the Roman administration, senate, law and tax system of Italy intact.
Odoacer raised an Italic-Germanic army with which he defeated the Vandals in Sicily.
As Odoacer's kingdom expanded, his popularity among the Italic people grew, and his pacts with the Franks and Visigoths gave him increased influence. All these things started to worry Zeno, the Eastern Emperor, who increasingly saw Odoacer as a rival. In 487 Odoacer once again commanded his army to victory, this time against the Rugians. Odoacer destroyed the Rugian kingdom that had been established in Noricum, but he did not incorporate it into his own kingdom. In 488, Emperor Zeno started a campaign against Odoacer; Zeno accused Odoacer of playing a major part in the revolt of Illus in 484. With these claims, Zeno convinced his Ostrogothic vassals that Odoacer was an enemy and should be removed. Zeno promised Theoderic son of Amal and his Ostrogoths the Italic Peninsula if they were to defeat and remove Odoacer. The accusation that Odoacer was part of the Illus revolt was a lie, fabricated by Byzantine noblemen, generals and Zeno who wanted the now mighty Odoacer removed. They removed the Ostrogoths from the Balkans and their border and at the same time conveniently caused Odoacer to disappear from the scene.
Theoderic and his Ostrogoths defeated Odoacer at Aquileia in 488, at Verona in 489, and at the Adda River in 490. In that same year, Theoderic besieged Odoacer at Ravenna. On February 2, 493, Theoderic and Odoacer signed a treaty that assured both parties would rule over Italy. It was at this banquet that Theoderic, after making a toast, killed Odoacer with his own hands.
Theoderic became the new king of Italy and established an Ostrogothic kingdom that was ruled from Ravenna. The remainder of Odoacer's foederati joined the Ostrogoths and were allowed to remain in Italy. The event in which Theoderic kills Odoacer with his own hands is mirrored ín the saga in the episode in which Dietrich kills the Dwarf King Laurin.
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Preceded by: Romulus Augustus as Western Roman Emperor |
King of Italy 476–493 |
Succeeded by: Theodoric the Great |
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