Orestes (father of Romulus Augustulus) facts for kids

Orestes (died August 8, 476) was an important Roman general and politician. He came from a region called Pannonia. Orestes joined the court of Attila the Hun, a powerful leader, and became one of his most trusted advisors.

Later, Orestes gained a lot of power in the Western Roman Empire. His son, Romulus Augustulus, even became the last Roman Emperor of the West.

Orestes' Early Life and Rise to Power

Orestes was born into a wealthy and important Roman family. They lived in a part of Pannonia called Pannonia Savia. His father was Tatulus. Orestes also married into another important family. His father-in-law, Romulus, was a high-ranking official in the Western Roman Empire.

When Pannonia was given to Attila the Hun, Orestes decided to join Attila's court. He quickly became one of Attila's closest friends and advisors. He even served as a secretary, which was a very important job. In 449, Attila sent Orestes to Constantinople (a major city) as an ambassador. He went there twice to represent Attila.

Orestes Becomes a Roman General

In 475, the Western Roman Emperor, Julius Nepos, made Orestes a top general. This position was called magister militum. He also gave Orestes the title of patricius, which meant he was a very high-ranking noble.

However, giving Orestes so much power turned out to be a big mistake for Emperor Nepos.

Orestes Takes Control

By August 28, 475, Orestes led an army of soldiers called foederati. These were non-Roman soldiers who fought for the empire. Orestes used this army to take control of the government in Ravenna. Ravenna was the main city and capital of the Western Roman Empire at that time.

Emperor Julius Nepos did not fight back. He quickly fled to Dalmatia. He continued to rule from there until he was killed in 480.

The Last Roman Emperor

With the emperor gone, Orestes decided to make his own son, Romulus, the new emperor. Romulus was given the title Augustus.

Because Romulus was only a child, probably between 12 and 15 years old, he became known as Romulus Augustulus. This name means "little Augustus." He was the very last Western Roman Emperor.

See also

In Spanish: Orestes (patricio) para niños

• Roman usurper
• List of Roman usurpers