Odoacer was a Germanic born warlord from the 5th century most commonly known for legally felling the Western Roman Empire in 476 by deposing the last Western Emperor, Romulus Augustulus and taking over political control of Italy. Despite the fickle legality and legacy of such deed, Odoacer was a popular ruler; he was kind to his Nicene Christian subjects despite being personally Arianist, he allowed continuity with old Roman practices by maintaining Latin as the official language of his state, and even restored the Roman Senate to a prestigious position it had arguably never held since Octavian.
But he would soon meet his undoing. The Eastern Roman Emperor, Zeno, sensed an opportunity to get rid of Eastern Gothic raids on his Balkan possessions by encouraging or bribing the Ostrogothic King, Theodoric of Amal, to move from his base in Pannonia and attack Odoacer's Italian holdings from there. Theodoric accepted and the Ostrogoths invaded the Po valley. But their performance in the following engagements against their enemies was rather mediocre; definitive victory only slipped into their hands once Odoacer was assassinated in a brawl during a celebratory banquet after a tentative peace treaty dividing the kingdom between the two. With no clear successor to Odoacer's position, Italy fell prey to Theodoric, who managed to establish a base for his desired Gothic Empire.
But what if Odoacer had prevailed over Theodoric around the early 490's? Assume he thoroughly defeats the Ostrogoths, reducing the latter to mostly a historical footnote.
How would Italy develop politically and culturally from there on in? How smoothly would relations with Constantinople likely go?
Would Germanic-ruled but Roman-dominated Italy seek territorial acquisitions (such as North Africa) or would its elites be content with ruling Italy alone?
Any other ideas?
But he would soon meet his undoing. The Eastern Roman Emperor, Zeno, sensed an opportunity to get rid of Eastern Gothic raids on his Balkan possessions by encouraging or bribing the Ostrogothic King, Theodoric of Amal, to move from his base in Pannonia and attack Odoacer's Italian holdings from there. Theodoric accepted and the Ostrogoths invaded the Po valley. But their performance in the following engagements against their enemies was rather mediocre; definitive victory only slipped into their hands once Odoacer was assassinated in a brawl during a celebratory banquet after a tentative peace treaty dividing the kingdom between the two. With no clear successor to Odoacer's position, Italy fell prey to Theodoric, who managed to establish a base for his desired Gothic Empire.
But what if Odoacer had prevailed over Theodoric around the early 490's? Assume he thoroughly defeats the Ostrogoths, reducing the latter to mostly a historical footnote.
How would Italy develop politically and culturally from there on in? How smoothly would relations with Constantinople likely go?
Would Germanic-ruled but Roman-dominated Italy seek territorial acquisitions (such as North Africa) or would its elites be content with ruling Italy alone?
Any other ideas?
