Romulus Augustulus was installed as the Western Roman Emperor at a time when the empire was rapidly deteriorating. His name, Romulus, links him to the legendary founder of Rome, yet he was a symbolic figure placed on the throne at a precarious juncture in history. Orestes, a general and the father of Romulus, had deposed the previous emperor, Julius Nepos, and aimed to consolidate power through his young son. Being only about 15 years old, Romulus had little authority of his own and was largely seen as a puppet. The Western Roman Empire had been facing increasing pressures from various barbarian groups and internal corruption, leading to significant instability.The proclamation happened in Ravenna, which was significant as the last stronghold of imperial authority in the West. This city, located along the Adriatic coast, had become a refuge for emperors fleeing the chaos in other parts of the empire. Romulus’s reign, however, was extraordinarily brief, lasting only until 476, when Odoacer, another military leader, deposed him. This marked the end of the Western Roman Empire as no further emperors would be recognized in the West after Romulus. The deposition solidified the shift in power dynamics within the region, as Germanic tribes began to wield greater authority over former Roman territories.While Romulus Augustulus himself did not enact significant policies, his rise to power exemplified the fragmentation and decline of imperial authority, rooted in ongoing conflicts and the loss of control over territories. The Roman Empire, once a dominant force across Europe and the Mediterranean, was now reduced to a figurehead situation, which would lead to the eventual establishment of various barbarian kingdoms in its wake.