"Was Flavius Aetius “Last of the Romans”?" Topic

"Flavius Aetius was one of the most fascinating characters in the Roman Empire's history. A general, a politician and a statesman, Aetius struggled to defend the Roman West against numerous threats, external and internal. His most famous triumph was over no one other than Attila the Hun at the Battle of Chalons. No wonder many consider him the "Last of the Romans," as the Western Roman Empire ceased to exist a few decades after Aetius' assassination. Yet, unbeknownst to most, Aetius facilitated the fall of the Roman West and played a major role in eroding the power and prestige of the emperor and imperial dynasty…"

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Armand

The Roman Empire lived on until 1453, so no.

Well, after Theodosius, the empire was permanently split into Western and Eastern divisions -- so I'd say, no, not Aetius, a mere general. But an argument could be made for Justinian as the last true "Emperor" of a Roman Empire that included Italy, much of the West, and all the old East. There are professional historians who echo this view.

It's just a pity this couldn't last. And perhaps been expanded upon. Who knew at the time?

Justin II controlled Italy and all of Justinian's western reconquests in the early part of his reign. Much of Italy was lost from 568 (but the final bit only in 1071!), but much of the western reconquests remained under Roman control until after the loss of Syria and Egypt in Heraclius' reign.

Thanks

Armand

The whole problem with "The Fall of the Roman Empire" is that nobody can define what it means, when it happened or what caused it.
Oh, and what "lessons" we can apply to today.

Other than that, it has kept historians and crackpots well employed, or at least busy.