ABSTRACT
Odovacar, although his comrades were the remnants of the Scyrian, Herulian, Turcilingian and Rugian nations, in reality commanded the last Roman army, by which is meant an army in the service of Rome. If it rose in 476 against the Patrician Orestes and the phantom emperor Romulus-this is what is called the end of the Western Empire-the reason was, it is said, that a distribution of lands was refused to it. What did this distribution mean ? Was it a social revolution ? “ It would have been a social revolution the like of which is not found in the history of the world.” 2 No such revolution took place. These mercenary “ Roman ” soldiers really demanded to have their condition assimilated to that of the Federates.
