# 476

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This article is about the year 476.     For other uses, see [476 (disambiguation)](/source/476_(disambiguation)).

Calendar year

Years Millennium 1st millennium Centuries 4th century 5th century 6th century Decades 450s 460s 470s 480s 490s Years 473 474 475 476 477 478 479 v t e

476 by topic Leaders Political entities State leaders Religious leaders Categories Births Deaths Establishments Disestablishments v t e

476 in various calendars Gregorian calendar 476 CDLXXVI Ab urbe condita 1229 Assyrian calendar 5226 Balinese saka calendar 397–398 Bengali calendar −118 – −117 Berber calendar 1426 Buddhist calendar 1020 Burmese calendar −162 Byzantine calendar 5984–5985 Chinese calendar 乙卯年 (Wood Rabbit) 3173 or 2966 — to — 丙辰年 (Fire Dragon) 3174 or 2967 Coptic calendar 192–193 Discordian calendar 1642 Ethiopian calendar 468–469 Hebrew calendar 4236–4237 Hindu calendars - Vikram Samvat 532–533 - Shaka Samvat 397–398 - Kali Yuga 3576–3577 Holocene calendar 10476 Iranian calendar 146 BP – 145 BP Islamic calendar 151 BH – 150 BH Javanese calendar 361–362 Julian calendar 476 CDLXXVI Korean calendar 2809 Minguo calendar 1436 before ROC 民前1436年 Nanakshahi calendar −992 Seleucid era 787/788 AG Thai solar calendar 1018–1019 Tibetan calendar ཤིང་མོ་ཡོས་ལོ་ (female Wood-Hare) 602 or 221 or −551 — to — མེ་ཕོ་འབྲུག་ལོ་ (male Fire-Dragon) 603 or 222 or −550

[Romulus Augustus](/source/Romulus_Augustulus) resigns the Crown.

[Castel dell'Ovo](/source/Castel_dell'Ovo) ([Gulf of Naples](/source/Gulf_of_Naples))

Year **476** (**[CDLXXVI](/source/Roman_numerals)**) was a [leap year starting on Thursday](/source/Leap_year_starting_on_Thursday) of the [Julian calendar](/source/Julian_calendar). At the time, it was known as the **Year of the Consulship of [Basiliscus](/source/Basiliscus) and [Armatus](/source/Armatus)** (or, less frequently, **year 1229 *[Ab urbe condita](/source/Ab_urbe_condita)***). The denomination 476 for this year has been used since the early medieval period, when the [Anno Domini](/source/Anno_Domini) [calendar era](/source/Calendar_era) became the prevalent method in Europe for naming years.

Because the fall of the [Western Roman Empire](/source/Western_Roman_Empire) occurred in 476, many historians consider it the last year of [ancient history](/source/Ancient_history) and the first year of the [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages) in Europe.[1][2]

## Events

### By place

#### Roman Empire

- Summer – [Odoacer](/source/Odoacer), chieftain of the Germanic tribes ([Herulic](/source/Heruli)/[Scirian](/source/Sciri) *[foederati](/source/Foederati)*), visits the imperial palace at [Ravenna](/source/Ravenna). He petitions [Orestes](/source/Orestes_(father_of_Romulus_Augustulus)) (*[magister militum](/source/Magister_militum)*) to reward his [mercenaries](/source/Mercenaries) for their services and their support of his rebellion a year earlier, by making good on his promise to grant them lands to settle permanently in [Italy](/source/Italy). Orestes refuses this proposal and Odoacer leads his tribesmen in a revolt.

- [August](/source/August) – [Basiliscus](/source/Basiliscus), Roman [usurper](/source/Usurper), is deposed and [Zeno](/source/Zeno_(emperor)) is restored as emperor of the [Eastern Roman Empire](/source/Eastern_Roman_Empire). With the support of his adviser [Illus](/source/Illus), he besieges [Constantinople](/source/Constantinople), but the Senate opens the gates, allowing him to resume the [throne](/source/Throne). Basiliscus flees to [sanctuary](/source/Sanctuary) in a church, but surrenders himself and his family after extracting a solemn promise from Zeno not to shed their blood. Basiliscus is sent to a fortress in [Cappadocia](/source/Cappadocia), where he later dies from [starvation](/source/Starvation).

- [August 23](/source/August_23) – Odoacer, age 43, is proclaimed *rex Italiae* ("king of Italy") by his troops. He leads his [Ostrogoth](/source/Ostrogoths) army into the [Po Valley](/source/Po_Valley), and advances to Ravenna while plundering the countryside.

- [August 28](/source/August_28) – [Orestes](/source/Orestes_(father_of_Romulus_Augustulus)) is arrested by Odoacer near [Piacenza](/source/Piacenza), and swiftly [executed](/source/Capital_punishment).

- [September 4](/source/September_4) – [Romulus Augustulus](/source/Romulus_Augustulus), Roman usurper of the [Western Roman Empire](/source/Western_Roman_Empire), [is deposed by Odoacer at Ravenna](/source/Deposition_of_Romulus_Augustus). Odoacer spares the boy's life and gives him a pension of 6,000 *[solidi](/source/Solidus)*, but exiles him to the *"Castellum Lucullanum"* ([Castel dell'Ovo](/source/Castel_dell'Ovo)), on the island of *Megaride* in the [Gulf of Naples](/source/Gulf_of_Naples). This event will later be romanticized in Western literature and history as the [Fall of Western Rome](/source/Decline_of_the_Roman_Empire), and is traditionally used by historians to mark the beginning of the [European](/source/Europe) [Middle Ages](/source/Middle_Ages).[3][4]

- [Julius Nepos](/source/Julius_Nepos), *de jure* ruler, becomes legally the last "Western Roman Emperor". He governs [Dalmatia](/source/Dalmatia) ([Balkans](/source/Balkans)), Morocco, and Northwest Gaul until his death in [480](/source/480), but has no effective power on the [Italian Peninsula](/source/Italian_Peninsula).

- Odoacer crosses the [Maritime Alps](/source/Maritime_Alps) with a [Gothic](/source/Goths) army and invades [Provence](/source/Provence) (Southern [Gaul](/source/Gaul)). He conquers the cities of [Arles](/source/Arles) and [Marseille](/source/Marseille), after a victorious battle against the [Burgundians](/source/Burgundians).

- The [Visigoths](/source/Visigoths) under King [Euric](/source/Euric) march into Italy, and suffer defeat against the forces of Odoacer. Emperor Zeno concludes a [peace treaty](/source/Peace_treaty) between the Goths and Odoacer surrenders the newly conquered territory in Gaul. Euric pledges himself to undertake no further hostilities.

- The [Roman Senate](/source/Roman_Senate) petitions [Zeno](/source/Zeno_(emperor)) to recognize Nepos as deposed and take the sole emperorship himself, abolishing the 81-year-long east/west division of the empire and recognizing Odoacer's authority in Italy. Zeno declines the first request, but names Odoacer *[Patricius](/source/Patrician_(ancient_Rome))*, investing his rule with Imperial legitimacy.

- Winter – Zeno recognizes the full extent of the [Vandal Kingdom](/source/Vandal_Kingdom), including all of western [Africa](/source/Africa_(Roman_province)), the [Balearic Islands](/source/Balearic_Islands), [Corsica](/source/Corsica), [Sardinia](/source/Sardinia) and [Sicily](/source/Sicily). King [Gaiseric](/source/Gaiseric) gives Sicily, with the exception of the city of [Lilybaeum](/source/Marsala), to Odoacer in return for [tribute](/source/Tribute).

#### India

- The birth of [Aryabhata](/source/Aryabhata) is traditionally regarded as the beginning of the classical period of [Indian mathematics](/source/Indian_mathematics) and [astronomy](/source/Indian_astronomy).

#### China

- [Xian Wen Di](/source/Emperor_Xianwen_of_Northern_Wei), [Retired Emperor](/source/Taishang_Huang) of [Northern Wei](/source/Northern_Wei), is murdered by Empress [Feng](/source/Empress_Feng_(Wencheng)). She assumes [regency](/source/Regent) over the young [Xiao Wen Di](/source/Emperor_Xiaowen_of_Northern_Wei).

### By topic

#### Religion

- [Peter the Fuller](/source/Peter_the_Fuller) is restored as [patriarch of Antioch](/source/Patriarch_of_Antioch).

## Births

- [December](/source/December) – [Aryabhata](/source/Aryabhata), [Indian](/source/History_of_India) [mathematician](/source/Indian_mathematics) and [astronomer](/source/Indian_astronomy) (d. [550](/source/550))

- [Hilary of Galeata](/source/Hilary_of_Galeata), Christian [monk](/source/Monk) and [saint](/source/Saint) (d. [558](/source/558))

## Deaths

- August - [Basiliscus](/source/Basiliscus), Emperor of the [Eastern Roman Empire](/source/Byzantine_Empire) - [Marcus](/source/Marcus_(son_of_Basiliscus)), co-Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire

- [August 28](/source/August_28) – [Orestes](/source/Orestes_(father_of_Romulus_Augustulus)), Roman politician and [regent](/source/Regent)

- [Xian Wen Di](/source/Emperor_Xianwen_of_Northern_Wei), Chinese Emperor of [Northern Wei](/source/Northern_Wei) (b. [454](/source/454))

## References

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Clare, I. S. (1906). Library of universal history: containing a record of the human race from the earliest historical period to the present time; embracing a general survey of the progress of mankind in national and social life, civil government, religion, literature, science and art. New York: Union Book. Page 1519 (cf., Ancient history, as we have already seen, ended with the fall of the Western Roman Empire; [...])

1. **[^](#cite_ref-2)** United Center for Research and Training in History. (1973). Bulgarian historical review. Sofia: Pub. House of the Bulgarian Academy of Sciences]. Page 43. (cf. ... in the history of Europe, which marks both the end of ancient history and the beginning of the Middle Ages, is the fall of the Western Roman Empire.)

1. **[^](#cite_ref-3)** ["Middle Ages"](http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Middle%20Ages). *Dictionary.com*.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-4)** [Bruni, Leonardo](/source/Leonardo_Bruni) (2001) [1442]. Hankins, James (ed.). [*History of the Florentine People*](https://archive.org/details/historyofflorent00brun). Vol. 1. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. p. xvii. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [978-0-674-00506-8](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/978-0-674-00506-8).

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [476](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/476) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/476?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.