Rome Was Not Built in a Day, But It Fell in One

The Western Roman Empire's official fall date is 476 AD, when the last emperor Romulus Augustulus was deposed by the Germanic chieftain Odoacer. But Roman culture, law, and language didn't vanish — they were absorbed, adapted, and transmitted forward. Much of what we call "Western civilisation" is Roman infrastructure with new branding.

Source: The Fate of Rome — Kyle Harper