After the split of the Roman Empire in 395, the West Roman Empire continued to weaken and Rome became subject to a series of brutal attacks by Germanic tribes. In 410 the Visigoths moved into Italy and looted Rome; in 455 the Vandals thoroughly ravaged the city; finally, in 476 the city fell when the Germanic chieftain Odoacer (433–493) forced Romulus Augustulus (c. 450–?), the last ruler of the empire, from the throne. By this time, however, Germanic chiefs had already begun claiming Roman lands and dividing them into several smaller kingdoms. The year 476 marks the official collapse of the West Roman Empire.