The Western Roman Empire famously ended in A.D. 476 when its last emperor abdicated the throne. But the city of Rome continued on. So what happened to the "Eternal City" after it was no longer the capital of one of the largest and most enduring empires ever seen?
In the century after the empire's fall, multiple powers fought over Rome in a series of devastating wars. The city's population collapsed, and one historical text claimed that it was even abandoned for a brief period.
