Ricimer (405-18 August 472) was a Romanized Germanic general and magister militum of the Western Roman Empire during the 5th century AD. He effectively ruled the empire from 461 to 472, having played a major role in the deaths of the Roman emperors Avitus and Majorian before appointing Libius Severus and Anthemius as his puppets.
Biography[]
Ricimer was born in 405 to a Suebic father and a Visigothic mother; he was the paternal grandson of Hermeric and the maternal grandson of King Wallia. He was the result of a marriage alliance between the two Germanic tribes, but he became Romanized during his service in the Roman Army under Flavius Aetius and alongside his friend Majorian. The Roman emperor Avitus appointed Ricimer a comes, a prominent military position, and he raised an army and navy from the Western Roman Empire's foederati mercenaries and defeated the Vandals at Agrigentum and Corsica in 456. He was then given command of the Western Empire's army in Italia, and he used it to help overthrow Avitus and replace him with Majorian, Ricimer's old friend. Ricimer was made a patrician and magister militum on 28 February 457, and he was used as a puppet by Eastern Roman emperor Leo I, who sought to control the rising star of Majorian. Majorian proved to be a capable ruler, however, and distanced himself from Ricimer. Ricimer was left in Italy as Majorian reconquered Hispania, and the vengeful Ricimer persuaded the conservative faction of the Roman Senate to turn against the reformist Majorian, whom Ricimer had arrested, beaten, and tortured for five days upon his return to Italy, before having him executed on 7 August 461. The Gallo-Roman general Aegidius and his troops refused to recognize Ricimer's authority, leading to the creation of the Domain of Soissons in Gaul and the loss of the region. Ricimer named the undistinguished senator Libius Severus emperor as his puppet, and Ricimer remained master of Rome. Leo did not recognize Severus as emperor, so Ricimer - desperate for Eastern Roman aid against Vandalic raids on Italy - had Severus poisoned in 465 and replaced by Anthemius in 467. In 468, Ricimer took part in the campaign to reconquer North Africa, but this expedition failed after the disastrous Battle of Cape Bon. Ricimer then had the magister militum Marcellinus assassinated in Sicily, alienating Anthemius. In 470, Anthemius accused Ricimer of treason and condemned him to death, but Ricimer was supported by the Burgundii and besieged Anthemius in Rome in 472. He captured and executed the emperor, replacing him with Olybrius. He died from a hemorrhage six weeks later, and his nephew Gundobad became the new supreme commander.