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The first Roman emperor’s rule began in 27 B.C. For centuries after that, the Roman Empire was the most powerful state in the ancient world. But beginning in the third century, fierce tribes of people invaded the empire. The Romans called them barbarians. (To the Romans, anyone who wasn’t Roman and didn’t speak Latin was a barbarian.)
Roman armies couldn’t stop them. The western emperors lost their power, and this part of the empire slipped away, piece by piece.
Finally, in A.D. 410, barbarians called Goths stormed Rome. They destroyed its buildings and carried away its valuables. Not long after, the Romans were forced to give up control of Britain, Spain, and Gaul (or France). The final blow came in A.D. 476. That was when a barbarian named Odoacer declared himself king of Italy, ending the Western Roman Empire.
