Odoacer often used the Roman honorific patrician, granted by Zeno, but was referred to as a king or duke in many documents, so is not clear which was his actual charge.
21 Facts About Odoacer
2.
Odoacer himself used the title of king in the only surviving official document that emanated from his chancery, and it was used by the consul Basilius.
3.
Odoacer introduced few important changes into the administrative system of Italy.
4.
Odoacer had the support of the Roman Senate and was able to distribute land to his followers without much opposition.
5.
Odoacer executed the conspirators, but within two years conquered the region and incorporated it into his domain.
6.
When Illus, master of soldiers of the Eastern Empire, asked for Odoacer's help in 484 in his struggle to depose Zeno, Odoacer invaded Zeno's westernmost provinces.
7.
Many historians, such as medieval scholar Michael Frasetto, accept that Odoacer was of Scirian heritage.
8.
Scholars are still to some extent divided about the evidence for Odoacer's father being a Hun, and about the identity of the Turcilingi.
9.
Historian Penny MacGeorge argues that Odoacer was likely half-Scirian and half-Thuringian.
10.
Finally, a passage from Eugippius' Life of Saint Severinus indicated that Odoacer was so tall that he had to bend down to pass through the doorway, which Macbain consider another strong argument that he was unlikely to have been a Hun, since they were not known to be tall.
11.
Possibly the earliest recorded incident involving Odoacer is from a fragment of a chronicle preserved in the History of the Franks of Gregory of Tours.
12.
Two different chapters of his work mention military leaders with Odoacer's name, using two different spellings and involving two different regions.
13.
When Orestes was in 475 appointed Magister militum and patrician by the Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos, Odoacer became head of the Germanic foederati of Italy.
14.
Odoacer was careful to observe form and made a pretence of acting on Nepos's authority, even issuing coins with both his image and that of Zeno.
15.
In 476, Odoacer was proclaimed rex by his soldiers and dux Italiae by emperor Zeno, initiating a new era over Roman lands.
16.
Odoacer achieved a solid diplomatic coup by inducing the Vandal king Gaiseric to cede Sicily to him.
17.
When Julius Nepos was murdered by two of his retainers in his country house near Salona, Odoacer assumed the duty of pursuing and executing the assassins, and at the same time established his own rule in Dalmatia.
18.
Odoacer exchanged messages with Illus, who had been in open revolt against Zeno since 484.
19.
Odoacer emerged from Ravenna and started to besiege his rival.
20.
Odoacer again was defeated and forced back into Ravenna, where Theodoric besieged him.
21.
Odoacer died ten days later, slain by Theodoric while they shared a meal.