There was no “sudden collapse” in 476 AD.
Everyone except you says 476.
“Alex, I pick “Cronos is wrong” for $1000”
Nope - you take authors from the 1800s. The same guys who believed in deism etc.
Furthermore, go and read for yourself:
- Did Odoacer acknowledge Emperor Zeno as his overlord and so technically Odoacer's realm as part of the Roman empire?
- Did the Senate in Rome still sit in 476 AD after Romulus Augustus was deposed?