5th century

The 5th century is the period from to  in accordance with the  in, the year of our Lord.

Overview
The is ruled by a succession of weak emperors, and true power falls increasingly into the hands of powerful generals. Internal instability and pressing military problems caused by foreign invaders finally result in the sacking of Rome by a army in. Some recovery is made in the following decades, but the Western Empire receives a serious blow when another barbarian group, the occupy, capital of the extremely important province of. Attempts to retake the province are interrupted by the invasions of the under. After Atilla's final defeat and death both Eastern and Western empires join forces for a final assault on Vandal North Africa, but it is a spectacular failure.

The Fall of the Roman Empire
The year is widely understood as the point at which the  came to an end. In the last Roman Emperor,  (nicknamed Augustulus "Little Augustus") is deposed by a Germanic  general named. The Eastern Roman Empire ceases trying to prop up its hopeless Western twin, whose former lands are then divided into numerous kingdoms. The last de-facto Roman Emperor, is murdered in Dalmatia in 480 AD. The last fragment of the Western Empire, the ruled by Duke, was conquered by the Frankish King  in 486. Roman power continued in the east however, under the rulers of Constantinople. Scholars normally refer to their empire as the, however its inhabitants considered themselves Roman throughout. Recognizable Roman culture continued to exist in the east for another 200 years before the Arab invasions of the set off a chain of events that forever changed the face of the, and the entity that emerged in the next few centuries is what one might refer to as the true.

Events

 * 399–412: The Chinese monk  sails through the  and travels throughout Sri Lanka and India to gather Buddhist scriptures.
 * 406: The, , and cross the frozen  near , and enter . This marks the collapse of the Roman frontier in the West.
 * 407: Constantine III leads many of the Roman military units from Britain to, occupying (Arelate). This is generally seen as Rome's withdrawal from Britain.
 * 410: sacked by,  writes
 * 439: s conquer
 * At some point after 440, the settle in . The traditional story is that they were invited there by.
 * 451: Huns under facing the  and the  are defeated in the.
 * 452: allegedly meets personally with Attila the Hun and convinces him not to sack Rome.
 * 455: Vandals sack Rome
 * 455: of Mexico founded
 * 476, August 28: Deposition of by : traditional date for the  in the West.
 * 480: Death of in, the last.
 * 481: becomes king of the  upon the death of
 * 490: Approximate date of the Battle of . According to legend, British forces led by defeated the invading.
 * 493: the Ostrogoth ousts Odoacer to become king of Italy.
 * 494: Northern Gaul is united under Frankish King, founder of the dynasty.
 * reaches and.
 * n and n settlers reach.
 * ends.

Significant persons

 * — Greek artist
 * , last of the great Roman generals
 * , king of the that sacked
 * , Eastern Roman general and politician
 * , bishop, theologian
 * , founder of
 * , first Frankish king to unite all the Frankish peoples
 * , Chinese Buddhist monk
 * , Vandal king and founder of the Vandal kingdom in North Africa
 * , discovered and settled Hawaii
 * , Chinese Buddhist
 * , woman philosopher
 * hermit, cleric, translator
 * , Western Roman general, politician and ruler
 * , Armenian monk
 * , founder of one of 's greatest dynasties.
 * , completed the conversion to Christianity in Ireland
 * , Byzantine Church historian
 * , Christian church historian
 * , Ostrogothic king
 * , Chinese astronomer and mathematician
 * , Byzantine Church historian
 * , Christian church historian
 * , Ostrogothic king
 * , Chinese astronomer and mathematician

Inventions, discoveries, introductions

 * invented in China
 * Heavy in use in Slavic lands
 * Metal s become common in
 * alphabet used in
 * created by c.