Augustulus

Augustulus, ROMULUS, the last emperor of the western half of the old Roman empire. His name was Augustus, but the diminutive title under which he is universally known was given him by the Romans on account of the essential littleness of his character. His father, Orestes, a Pannonian of good birth and wealth, had risen to high rank under the Emperor Julius Nepos, whose favour he repaid by stirring up the barbarian troops in the pay of Rome to mutiny against him. On the flight of the emperor, Orestes conferred the vacant throne on his son Augustulus (476 A.D.), retaining all substantial power in his own hands. Orestes failing to conciliate the barbarians, who had helped him against Nepos, with a grant of one-third of the lands of Italy, they, under the command of Odoacer, besieged him in Pavia, and killed him on the capture of the town. Augustulus yielded at once, and being of too little consequence to be put to death, was dismissed to a villa near Naples with an annual pension of 6000 pieces of gold. His after-fate is unknown.