Ricimer

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Ricimer's monogram is struck on the reverse of this coin by Libius Severus. Libius was
one of the "puppet" emperors Ricimer put on, to rule behind the throne.[inconsistent] See
Libius Severus
Ricimer (c. 405 – August 18, 472; pronounced /ˈrikimer/) was a Germanic general who
was master of the Western Roman Empire during part of the fifth century.
Ricimer was an Arian Christian, the son of a prince of the Suebi. His mother was the
daughter of Wallia, king of the Visigoths. His youth was spent at the court of the western
Roman emperor Valentinian III, where he won distinction fighting under Flavius Aëtius,
Valentinian's magister militum of the western portion of the Roman Empire.
The deaths of Valentinian and Aëtius in 454–55 created a power vacuum in the west. At
first, Petronius Maximus attempted to seize control of the imperial throne, but he was
killed when the Vandal king Geiseric sacked Rome in May of 455. Avitus was then made
Emperor by the Visigoths. Following his arrival in Rome, Avitus appointed Ricimer as
commander of the stricken Western Empire (by then reduced to Italy and a part of
southern Gaul). He raised a new army and navy from among the Germanic mercenaries
available to him.
After leaving Rome, Geiseric had left a powerful fleet blockading the Italian coast. In
456, Ricimer led his own fleet out to sea, and defeated the Vandals in a sea-fight near
Corsica. He also defeated the Vandals on land near Agrigentum in Sicily. Backed by the
popularity thus acquired, Ricimer gained the consent of the Roman Senate for an
expedition against the emperor Avitus, whom he defeated in a bloody battle at Piacenza
on October 16, 456. Avitus was taken prisoner, made bishop of Piacenza, and shortly
afterwards sentenced to death. Ricimer then obtained from Leo I, the eastern emperor at
Constantinople, the title of Patrician.
Ricimer spent the rest of his life as the de facto ruler of what was left of the western
empire. However, the way in which he exercised power made him one of the most
controversial figures of his time. As a Germanic tribesman, he could not assume the title
of Augustus (emperor) himself; on the other hand, power over the Augustus in Rome
gave him prestige and offered him some influence over the other Germanic peoples
occupying Gaul, Hispania, and Northern Africa. This left him with two options —
dissolve the western imperial court and rule officially as a dux, or governor, of a single
emperor in Constantinople, or set up his own figurehead emperors and rule through them.
He chose to do the latter, even going so far as to have his name inscribed on the coinage
along with the emperor.
In 457, Ricimer set up Majorian as his own emperor in the West and induced Leo to give
his consent. However, Majorian proved to be a capable ruler and soon became
uncomfortably independent. Majorian was defeated (possibly by treachery) by Geiseric
near the modern city of Valencia, Spain, while trying to organize an expedition against
him, in 461. Ricimer then forced him to abdicate and caused his assassination on August
7, 461. The successor whom Ricimer placed upon the throne was Libius Severus, who
proved to be more docile than Majorian, but had to face the disapproval of Leo in the
East and rivalry of Aegidius in Gaul. Upon Libius Severus' death in 465 — said to be due
to poisoning by Ricimer — this emperor-maker ruled the West for eighteen months
without an emperor.
Finally, after a lengthy debate in which he and Geiseric, now working together, tried to
force their own candidate as emperor upon Leo, Ricimer accepted Leo's candidate
Anthemius. He diplomatically married Anthemius' daughter, and for some time lived in
peace with him.
Ricimer commanded a large portion of the Roman forces in an expedition mounted by
Leo against Geiseric in 468. His behavior raised suspicions that Ricimer secretly wanted
the expedition to fail, which it ultimately did.
Four years later, Ricimer moved to Mediolanum (Milan), ready to declare war upon
Anthemius. St. Epiphanius, bishop of Milan, patched up a short-lived truce, after which
Ricimer was again before Rome with an army of Germans. He proclaimed as emperor
Olybrius, the candidate for emperor he and Geiseric had once favored. After a three
months' siege, he took the city, on July 1, 472. Anthemius was killed. However, Ricimer
died less than two months later of malignant fever. His title of Patrician was assumed by
his nephew Gundobad.
Ricimer defended the provinces against the Ostrogoths and the Alani, and decorated the
Arian church of Sant'Agata dei Goti in Rome.

[edit] Marriage
Ricimer married Alypia, a daughter of Anthemius and Marcia Euphemia. They had no
known children.[1]

[edit] References
1. ^ Ralph W. Mathisen, "Anthemius (12 April 467 - 11 July 472 A.D.)"
• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica, Eleventh
Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
 Preceded by
Imp. Caesar Iulius Consul of the Roman Empire Succeeded by
Maiorianus Augustus, 459 Flavius Magnus,
Imp. Caesar Flavius with Flavius Iulius Patricius Flavius Apollonius
Valerius Leo Augustus