Odoacer or Odovacar AD433-493
Germanic warrior, first barbarian king of Italy

He was the son of a tribal captain in the service of the western Roman Empire. A leader of the Heruli, he was the German commander of the imperial guard in Rome. He participated in the revolution (AD476) which drove Julius Nepos from the throne and gave Orestes' son Romulus the title of Augustus (known as Romulus Augustulus). He marched against Pavia (476) and Romulus abdicated in his favour, ending the western Roman Empire, and making Odoacer King of Italy. His increasing power alarmed the Byzantine Emperor Zeno, who encouraged Theodoric the Great, King of the Ostrogoths, to invade Italy (489). Odoacer, defeated, retreated to Ravenna, which he defended for three years. Compelled by famine, he capitulated (493) and a fortnight later he was assassinated at a banquet by Theodoric.