We commonly think of the Roman Empire as having fallen in 476. Professionals have since disputed this, with various historians and archaeologist dating the fall to anywhere between 476 and about 700, while others maintain that the empire didn’t fall until 1453 or even 1922. This is because “fall” is a loaded term, which implies certain things about the political and social landscape that historians are looking at.

But, did the Romans ever think the Roman Empire fell? This is a somewhat difficult question to answer due to the nature of the Roman conception of their state, the Res Publica. But, a strong argument can be made that there was an intellectual shift in the Roman psyche during and after the reign of Justinian the Great and especially after his Renevatio, his project of Imperial Renewal, that the Roman Empire had fallen indeed in 476. It was crucial for Justinian to make this argument, as his imperial project hinged on restoring the Roman Empire to greatness.

SOURCES

The Eternal Decline and Fall of Rome, Watts
Rome Resurgent, Heather
The Restoration of Rome: Barbarian Popes and Imperial Pretenders, Heather
New Rome, Stephenson

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