 Abt 405 - 472 (~ 67 years)
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| Name |
Ricimer of the Suevia |
| Suffix |
Germanic general |
| Birth |
Abt 405 |
Toledo, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain  |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
18 Aug 472 |
Roma, Roma, Lazio, Italy |
| Notes |
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ricimer
«b»Ricimer«/b» (c. 405 \endash «u»August 18 «/u», «u»472 «/u»; pronounced «u»/'rikimer/ «/u») was a «u»Germanic «/u» general who achieved effective control of the remaining parts of the «u»Western Roman Empire «/u», during the middle of the fifth century A.D. His power was based primarily on military strength, and he exercised political control through a series of "puppet emperors", whom he enthroned and eliminated.
«b»Biography
«/b»Ricimer was an «u»Arian «/u» «u»Christian «/u», the son of «u»Rechila «/u», «u»Suevic «/u» «u»King of Galicia «/u». His mother was the daughter of «u»Wallia «/u», king of the «u»Visigoths «/u». His youth was spent at the court of the western Roman emperor «u»Valentinian III «/u», where he won distinction fighting under «u»Flavius Aëtius «/u», Valentinian's «u»«i»magister militum «/u»«/i» of the western portion of the Roman Empire.
The deaths of «u»Valentinian «/u» and Aëtius in 454\endash 55 created a power vacuum in the west. At first, «u»Petronius Maximus «/u» attempted to seize control of the imperial throne, but he was killed when the «u»Vandal «/u» king «u»Geiseric «/u» «u»sacked Rome «/u» in May of 455. «u»Avitus «/u» was then made Emperor by the «u»Visigoths «/u». Following his arrival in «u»Rome «/u», Avitus appointed Ricimer as commander of the stricken Western Empire (by then reduced to «u»Italy «/u» and a part of southern «u»Gaul «/u»). He raised a new army and navy from among the «u»Germanic «/u» mercenaries available to him.
After leaving Rome, «u»Geiseric «/u» 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 «u»Agrigentum «/u» in Sicily. Backed by the popularity thus acquired, Ricimer gained the consent of the «u»Roman Senate «/u» for an expedition against the emperor «u»Avitus «/u», whom he defeated in a bloody battle at «u»Piacenza «/u» on «u»October 16 «/u», «u»456 «/u». Avitus was taken prisoner, made «u»bishop of Piacenza «/u», and shortly afterwards sentenced to death. Ricimer then obtained from «u»Leo I «/u», the eastern emperor at «u»Constantinople «/u», the title of «u»Patrician «/u».
Ricimer spent the rest of his life as the «i»de facto«/i» 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 «u»Augustus «/u» (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 «u»Gaul «/u», «u»Hispania «/u», and «u»Northern Africa «/u». This left him with two options \emdash dissolve the western imperial court and rule officially as a «u»«i»dux «/u»«/i», 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 «u»Majorian «/u» 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 «u»Valencia, Spain «/u», while trying to organize an expedition against him, in 461. Ricimer then forced him to abdicate and caused his assassination on «u»August 7 «/u», «u»461 «/u». The successor whom Ricimer placed upon the throne was «u»Libius Severus «/u», who proved to be more docile than Majorian, but had to face the disapproval of Leo in the East and rivalry of «u»Aegidius «/u» in Gaul. Upon Libius Severus' death in 465 \emdash said to be due to poisoning by Ricimer \emdash 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 «u»Anthemius «/u». 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 («u»Milan «/u»), ready to declare war upon Anthemius. «u»St. Epiphanius «/u», «u»bishop of Milan «/u», patched up a short-lived truce, after which Ricimer was again before Rome with an army of Germans. He proclaimed as emperor «u»Olybrius «/u», the candidate for emperor he and Geiseric had once favored. After a three months' siege, he took the city, on «u»July 1 «/u», «u»472 «/u». Anthemius was killed. However, Ricimer died less than two months later of malignant fever. His title of Patrician was assumed by his nephew «u»Gundobad «/u».
Ricimer's "rule" lasted until his death. After this, the Western Roman Empire experienced an even more rapid succession of emperors, none of whom was able to effectively consolidate power. The line of western emperors ended (arguably in either 476 or 480), leaving the Eastern Roman Emperors, based in Constantinople, with tenuous claims of reign over the western parts of a "re-united" empire.
«b»Marriage
«/b»Ricimer was married to Alypia, a daughter of Anthemius and «u»Marcia Euphemia «/u». They had no known children.
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| Person ID |
I61278 |
Glenn Cook Family |
| Last Modified |
26 Apr 2015 |
| Father |
Rechila of the Suevi, King of Galicia, b. 380, Braga, Portugal d. 448, Mérida, Badajoz, Extremadura, Spain (Age 68 years) |
| Mother |
Alphia of the Visigoths, b. 383, Toledo, Castile, Ostrogoth Empire In Spain d. 425, Germany (Age 42 years) |
| Family ID |
F551617532 |
Group Sheet | Family Chart |
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