The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after administrative power was divided between several rulers. The process began when Diocletian appointed a co-ruler to govern the west, and later formalised in the tetrarchy and the division after Theodosius I in the late fourth century. The western half had its capital moved from Rome to Milan and then to Ravenna, and it faced mounting pressure from migrating Germanic peoples, financial difficulties and internal conflict. Provinces such as Gaul, Spain and Africa passed to barbarian kingdoms. The last western emperor, Romulus Augustulus, was deposed by the Germanic general Odoacer, which is traditionally seen as the end of the Western Empire, while the eastern half survived for another thousand years as the Byzantine Empire.
Before and after
- 278 CEDiscovery of 278 Paulina
- from 284 CE to 306 CERoman Tetrarchy
- from 284 CE to 565 CEDominate
- from 285 CE to 1453Byzantine Empire
- from 285 CE to 476 CEWestern Roman Empire
- 293 CEConstruction of Diocletian's Palace
- 293 CEDiocletian establishes the Tetrarchy
- 3rd centuryOrigins of Mangup
- 303 CEConstruction of Etchmiadzin Cathedral
More in Civilizations & archaeology
- from c. 2,601 BCE to 1,901 BCEThe Indus Valley cities reach maturity
- c. 1,051 BCEThe Phoenician alphabet spreads
- from c. 753 BCE to 476 CEAncient Rome
- 7th century BCEConstruction of Hanging Gardens of Babylon
- from 312 BCE to 63 BCESeleucid Empire
- from 279 BCE to 1480Construction of Lighthouse of Alexandria
The era
This moment belongs to the Ancient civilizations (3,200 BCE to 500 CE), writing, cities and empires. You can also browse everything in the 3rd century.