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 Abt 420 - 472 (~ 52 years)
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| Name |
Anthemius |
| Birth |
Abt 420 |
| Gender |
Male |
| Death |
11 Jul 472 |
| Notes |
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anthemius
«b»Procopius Anthemius«/b» (c. 420 \endash 11 July 472) was a «u»Western Roman Emperor «/u» from 12 April 467 until his death. Perhaps the last able emperor, Anthemius attempted to solve the two primary military challenges facing the remains of the «u»Western Roman Empire «/u»: the resurgent «u»Visigoths «/u», under «u»Euric «/u», whose domain straddled the «u»Pyrenees«/u»; and the unvanquished «u»Vandals «/u», under «u»Geiseric «/u», in undisputed control of North Africa.
Anthemius was of the «u»gens Procopia «/u». His reign began on a hopeful note. Anthemius had the backing of «u»Leo I «/u», Emperor of the «u»Eastern Roman Empire «/u», and had married his daughter to the chief military strongman of Italy, «u»Ricimer «/u». A skilled general in «u»Illyricum «/u», «u»Marcellinus «/u», ceased his active opposition and pledged his allegiance to the new emperor. Anthemius also gained support from a backer far outside of the existing circle of possible supporters: one «u»Riothamus «/u» with a «u»Romano-British «/u» army joined with Anthemius, and the alliance attempted to encroach on Euric. However, Euric was able to defeat not only Riothamus's army and the various Roman forces, but annexed numerous «u»Gallic «/u» cities that still remained in Roman hands.
Meanwhile, the kingdom of the Vandals had presented a constant threat to Roman seafaring in the Mediterranean, and Anthemius and his Eastern Roman colleague «u»Leo I «/u» undertook a concerted effort to dislodge them from North Africa (468). As commanders were appointed the western patrician «u»Marcellinus «/u» and the eastern general «u»Basiliscus «/u». Although the campaign against Gaiseric initially made significant gains, «u»Basiliscus «/u» allowed his fleet to be destroyed before «u»Carthage«/u» by Gaiseric. Thus the expedition ended in utter failure, and in its wake, «u»Marcellinus «/u» was murdered that same year on Sicily.
In 470, following all of this misfortune, Anthemius fell into a serious sickness, and believing that it was caused by sorcery, exacted vengeance on numerous prominent men. The «u»«i»magister militum «/u»«/i», «u»Ricimer «/u», lost patience with Anthemius, summoned 6000 men who had been enlisted for the war against the Vandals, and began armed opposition in «u»Milan «/u» against Anthemius in «u»Rome «/u». This conflict between emperor and military strongman ended five months later with Ricimer's conquest of Rome, and the capture and execution of Anthemius.
Sources for Anthemius's life are richer than for most fifth century Western Emperors, partly because of his origin in Constantinople, where the tradition of court histories was kept alive, and partly because of the details that can be extracted from a panegyric delivered January 1, 468 by the «u»Gallo-Roman «/u» poet «u»Sidonius Apollinaris «/u». A son of Anthemius, «u»Anthemiolus «/u», is mentioned in the near-contemporary «u»«i»Chronica Gallica of 511 «/u»«/i».
«b»Marriage and children
«/b»Anthemius married «u»Marcia Euphemia «/u», the only known daughter of «u»Marcian «/u», «u»Byzantine Emperor «/u». The identity of her mother is unknown.«u» «/u»Her stepmother was «u»Pulcheria «/u», second wife of her father.
Euphemia and Anthemius would have five known children, one daughter and four sons. Their daughter Alypia is known as the wife of «u»Ricimer «/u». Their sons were «u»Anthemiolus «/u», «u»Marcian «/u», Procopius Anthemius and Romulus. Marcian married Leontia, a daughter of «u»Leo I «/u» and «u»Verina «/u». The couple led a failed revolt against «u»Zeno «/u»in 478\endash 79. They were exiled to «u»Isauria «/u» following their defeat.
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| Person ID |
I61282 |
Glenn Cook Family |
| Last Modified |
10 Nov 2009 |
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