What event marks the traditional end of the Western Roman Empire?

• A. Sack of Rome by Alaric
• B. Battle of Actium
• C. The deposition of Romulus Augustulus by Odoacer
• D. Edict of Milan

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the cessation of a continuous Western imperial line and the transfer of authority in Italy to a non-imperial ruler under the vague umbrella of the Eastern emperor. When Odoacer deposed Romulus Augustulus in 476 and sent him into exile, it ended the last Western Roman emperor’s reign. From that point, no emperor would rule the Western provinces as an independent imperial throne, and the Eastern Empire would be recognized as the remaining Roman state, albeit under a different title and with shifting power dynamics. The Western realm continued to exist in name only after that moment, while the Eastern (Byzantine) Empire survives for centuries. The other events are tangential to the end of Western imperial rule: the sack of Rome by Alaric shows a collapse in prestige and military power, the Battle of Actium marks a different turning point in Roman history, and the Edict of Milan concerns religious policy rather than imperial dissolution.