Ricimer's monogram is struck on the reverse of this coin by Libius Severus. Libius Severus was a Western Roman Emperor, 461&ndash465 Ricimer elevated Libius Severus of Lucanian origin to the rank of emperor after the Libius was one of the "puppet" emperors Ricimer put on, to rule behind the throne.

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. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Stilicho orders the Sibylline Books burned Events 293 BC - The oldest known Roman temple to Venus is founded starting the institution of Vinalia Rustica. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Relations between Emperor Anthemius and general Ricimer deteriorate completely The Western Roman Empire refers to the western half of the Roman Empire, from its division by Diocletian in 285 the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern The 5th century is the period from 401 to 500 in accordance with the Julian calendar in Anno Domini / Common Era.

Biography

Ricimer was an Arian Christian, the son of a prince of the Suebi. Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, a monotheistic Religion centered on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth Prince, from the Latin root Princeps, is a general term for a Monarch, for a member of a monarch's or former monarch's family and is a The Suebi or Suevi (from Proto-Germanic * swēbaz based on the Proto-Germanic root * swē- meaning "one's own" His mother was the daughter of Wallia, king of the Visigoths. Wallia or Valia (in Spanish Walia, in Portuguese Vália) was king of the Visigoths from 415 to 419 earning a reputation The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East 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. Flavius Placidius Valentinianus ( July 2, 419 &ndash March 16, 455) known in English as Valentinian III, was among the last Aëtius is also the name of several other persons Flavius Aëtius or simply Aëtius, (c Magister militum ( Latin for "Master of the Soldiers" was a top-level military command used in the later Roman Empire, dating from the reign of

The deaths of Valentinian and Aëtius in 454–55 created a power vacuum in the west. Flavius Placidius Valentinianus ( July 2, 419 &ndash March 16, 455) known in English as Valentinian III, was among the last 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. Flavius Anicius Petronius Maximus (c 396 - May 31 455) was a Roman aristocrat and briefly Western Roman Emperor with the designation Geiseric the Lame (c 389 &ndash January 25, 477) also spelled as Gaiseric or Genseric, was the King of the Vandals The second of three Barbarian sacks of Rome, the sack of 455 was at the hands of the Vandals, then at war with the usurping Western Roman Events By Place Western Roman Empire March 16 — Valentinian III is murdered by former soldiers of Aëtius, in revenge Avitus was then made Emperor by the Visigoths. This article is about the Roman Emperor For the poet see Avitus of Vienne. The Visigoths (Visigothi, Wisigothi, Vesi, Visi, Wesi, or Wisi were one of two main branches of the Goths, an East 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). Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western He raised a new army and navy from among the Germanic mercenaries available to him. The Germanic peoples are a historical group of Indo-European -speaking peoples originating in Northern Europe and identified by their use of the Germanic

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. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Capua is destroyed by the Vandals. He also defeated the Vandals on land near Agrigentum in Sicily. Agrigento ( Girgenti in Sicilian) is a city on the southern coast of Sicily, Italy, and capital of the Province of Agrigento 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. The Roman Senate was a political institution in Ancient Rome. This article is about the Roman Emperor For the poet see Avitus of Vienne. Piacenza ( Placentia in Latin and old-fashioned English, Piasëinsa in the local dialect of Emiliano-Romagnolo) is a Events 456 - Magister militum Ricimer defeats the Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and becomes master of the western Events By Place Western Roman Empire Capua is destroyed by the Vandals. 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. Constantinople (Κωνσταντινούπολις Konstantinoúpolis, or gr ἡ Πόλις hē Polis, Latin: la CONSTANTINOPOLIS The term " patrician " originally referred to a group of elite families in Ancient Rome, including both their natural and

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. Augustus ( Latin: IMPERATOR·CAESAR·DIVI·FILIVS·AVGVSTVS September 23 63 BC – August 19 AD 14) born Gaius Octavius Thurinus, was Gaul (Gallia was the Roman name for the region of Western Europe comprising present day northern Italy, France, Belgium, western Spain () or the Kingdom of Spain (Reino de España is a country located mostly in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. 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. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Majorian is declared emperor by Ricimer. Iulius Valerius Maiorianus (November 420 - 7 August 461) commonly known as Majorian, was Western Roman Emperor (457 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. Valencia ( Valencian: València, Valencia Spanish phonology --> is the capital of the Spanish autonomous Events By Place Western Roman Empire August 2 — Majorian resigns as Emperor shortly afterwards Libius Severus Ricimer then forced him to abdicate and caused his assassination on August 7, 461. Events 322 BC - Battle of Crannon between Athens and Macedon following the death of Alexander the Great. Events By Place Western Roman Empire August 2 — Majorian resigns as Emperor shortly afterwards Libius Severus 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. Libius Severus was a Western Roman Emperor, 461&ndash465 Ricimer elevated Libius Severus of Lucanian origin to the rank of emperor after the Aegidius (unknown - 464 or 465 was a Gallo-Roman promoted as Magister militum in Gaul under Aëtius around 450 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. Events By Place Eastern Roman Empire Basiliscus becomes a Consul in the Eastern Roman Empire.

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. See Anthemius of Tralles for an architect of Hagia Sophia. For the Praetorian prefect and grandfather of the Emperor see Anthemius (praetorian prefect 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. Events By Place Eastern Roman Empire The Vandal fleet overpowers the navy of Leo I. 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. Milan (Milano Milan (listen) is one of the largest cities in Italy, located in the plains of Lombardy. St. Epiphanius, bishop of Milan, patched up a short-lived truce, after which Ricimer was again before Rome with an army of Germans. Epiphanius of Pavia (438–496 later known as Saint Epiphanius of Pavia, was Bishop of Pavia from 466 until his death in 496 He proclaimed as emperor Olybrius, the candidate for emperor he and Geiseric had once favored. Flavius Anicius Olybrius, Western Roman Emperor with the designation and name Dominus Noster Flavius Anicius Olybrius Augustus from March 23 or July After a three months' siege, he took the city, on July 1, 472. "July 1st" redirects here For the Ayumi Hamasaki song see H (song. Events By Place Western Roman Empire Relations between Emperor Anthemius and general Ricimer deteriorate completely Anthemius was killed. However, Ricimer died less than two months later of malignant fever. His title of Patrician was assumed by his nephew Gundobad. Gundobad, Patrician of the Western Roman Empire (472-473 also became King of the Burgundians (473-516 after his father Gundioc of Burgundy

Ricimer defended the provinces against the Ostrogoths and the Alani, and decorated the Arian church of Sant'Agata in Rome, later known as Sant'Agata of the Goths. The Ostrogoths (Ostrogothi or Austrogothi were a branch of the Goths, an East Germanic tribe that played a major role in the political events of the late The Alans or Alani (occasionally but more rarely termed Alauni or Halani) were an Iranian nomadic group among the Sarmatian people Arianism is the theological teaching of Arius (c AD 250-336 who was ruled a heretic by the Christian church at the Council of Nicea. Sant'Agata dei Goti is a church in Rome dedicated to the martyr Saint Agatha.

Marriage

Ricimer married Alypia, a daughter of Anthemius and Marcia Euphemia. Aelia Marcia Euphemia was the wife of Anthemius, Western Roman Emperor. They had no known children. ^[1]

References

• This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain. The Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition (1910–1911 is a 29-volume reference work that marked the beginning of the Encyclopædia Britannica The public domain is a range of abstract materials &ndash commonly referred to as Intellectual property &ndash which are not owned or controlled by anyone