Romulus Augustulus was the last Roman emperor of the Western Roman Empire, reigning from 475 to 476 AD. He was a young ruler, often considered a puppet of his father, Orestes, who was a general. His reign marked the end of the Western Roman Empire, which had been in decline for several decades. In 476 AD, Odoacer, a Germanic chieftain, deposed Romulus Augustulus, effectively ending the Western Roman Empire. After his removal, Romulus was sent into exile, and he disappears from historical records. His fall symbolizes the transition from ancient Rome to the Middle Ages in Europe.