The legend of the
Last Roman Emperor or
Last World Emperor developed in medieval Europe, as an aspect of
Christian eschatologyIn Christian theology, Christian eschatology is the study of its religious beliefs concerning all future and final events , as well as the ultimate purpose of the world , of humankind, and the Church....
. It predicted that in the last times, a last emperor would appear on earth. It therefore does not refer to
Romulus AugustusRomulus Augustus , more known by his nickname Romulus Augustulus , was the last Western Roman Emperor reigning from the 31 October 475 until his deposition on the 4 September 476...
, recognized as the last of the emperors of the
Western Roman EmpireThe Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire....
, or to Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last emperor of the
East Roman (Byzantine) EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
.
The legend is based on the
Apocalypse of Pseudo-MethodiusThe Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius is a 7th-century apocalypse that shaped the eschatological imagination of Christendom throughout the Middle Ages. The work was written in Syriac in the late 7th century, in reaction to the Islamic conquest of the Near East, and is falsely attributed to the...
. It was developed in the writings of Adso of Montier-en-Der, and was particularly current around the end of the fifteenth century.
Discussion
Ask a question about 'Last Roman Emperor' Start a new discussion about 'Last Roman Emperor' Answer questions from other users |
The legend of the
Last Roman Emperor or
Last World Emperor developed in medieval Europe, as an aspect of
Christian eschatologyIn Christian theology, Christian eschatology is the study of its religious beliefs concerning all future and final events , as well as the ultimate purpose of the world , of humankind, and the Church....
. It predicted that in the last times, a last emperor would appear on earth. It therefore does not refer to
Romulus AugustusRomulus Augustus , more known by his nickname Romulus Augustulus , was the last Western Roman Emperor reigning from the 31 October 475 until his deposition on the 4 September 476...
, recognized as the last of the emperors of the
Western Roman EmpireThe Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, today widely known as the Byzantine Empire....
, or to Constantine XI Palaiologos, the last emperor of the
East Roman (Byzantine) EmpireThe Byzantine Empire or Eastern Roman Empire, was the continuation of the Roman Empire during the Middle Ages, centered on the capital of Constantinople, and ruled by Emperors in direct and de jure succession to the ancient Roman Emperors...
.
The legend is based on the
Apocalypse of Pseudo-MethodiusThe Apocalypse of Pseudo-Methodius is a 7th-century apocalypse that shaped the eschatological imagination of Christendom throughout the Middle Ages. The work was written in Syriac in the late 7th century, in reaction to the Islamic conquest of the Near East, and is falsely attributed to the...
. It was developed in the writings of Adso of Montier-en-Der, and was particularly current around the end of the fifteenth century.
Christopher ColumbusChristopher Columbus was a navigator, colonizer and explorer whose voyages across the Atlantic Ocean led to general European awareness of the American continents in the Western Hemisphere...
refers to it in his
Book of PropheciesThe Book of Prophecies is a compilation of apocalyptical religious revelations written by Christopher Columbus in the 15th and 16th centuries C.E....
.