The Roman Empire Ended When a Barbarian Deposed a 16-Year-Old Emperor September 4, 476 AD. The Roman Empire ended. Not with a siege. Not with a battle. Not with Rome burning. A barbarian general named Odoacer forced a 16-year-old emperor to resign. That was it. 1,000 years of empire—over in one day. Odoacer gave the boy a pension and sent him home. The greatest empire in history ended with a forced retirement. #rome #romanempire #history #476ad #odoacer #fallofrome #ancientrome