The Western Roman Empire maintains Rome and is the larger, but poorer part of the old Empire. Map of the Western Roman Empire (in red) after the division.īy time of Barbarian Invasion, Rome has split into two separate empires. Rome was ruled by a succession of barbarian kings, while learning was kept alive in the West only through the Roman Catholic Church. Romulus Augustulus, the last Emperor, was so irrelevant that he was merely deposed and allowed to live out his days in retirement. Historically, the Roman Empire in the West disappeared in 476. A strong Emperor could even reunite the Empire and rule the world from Rome, but this would take a very strong man to carry the title of Augustus. A strong Emperor could hold the frontiers against the barbarians from the north and east. Barbarians have been allowed to fill in the ranks of the Roman Army and now the Western Empire is vulnerable. Over the last hundred years barbarians have been allowed to settle in Roman provinces. Western Europe has never been as rich as the eastern end of the Mediterranean Imperial taxes and population have been dropping and the upkeep of the army is increasingly difficult. Now the Western Empire is the weaker part of the Roman world. Julian the Apostate, the last man to try, had spent much of his energy in trying to make the Roman people pagan once again. Other men have tried to rule everything, but their efforts have foundered. Since the death of Constantine the Great in 337 AD the Roman Empire has effectively been divided into two unequal halves, and at least nominally Christian.

Empire at war reddit