Julius Nepos

Julius Nepos was de jure and de facto Roman emperor of the West from 474 to 475 and then only de jure until his death in 480. Born to a distinguished family, he succeeded his uncle, Marcellinus, as military governor of the province of Dalmatia in 468. With support of the Eastern Empire, Nepos overthrew his predecessor Glycerius without a fight and proclaimed himself western emperor in June 474. Orestes, the Magister Militum, turned his forces on Nepos in August 475, forcing him to flee by ship to Dalmatia. Orestes crowned his son Romulus as Emperor in Nepos's absence, but neither the Eastern Emperor Zeno nor many Western provinces recognized Romulus, regarding him as a usurper. Nepos never relinquished his imperial title and sought a compromise with the barbarian king Odoacer who deposed Romulus. Odoacer ambiguously recognized his claim but refused him any role in government outside of Dalmatia. Nepos was assassinated in 480 while plotting his own restoration, and Zeno formally abolished the Western division of the Empire.