Flavius Ricimer

Background

Flavius Ricimer was born in 405 A. D. , the place of birth is unknown. Ricimer was the son of Rechila, the Suevic King of Galicia. His mother was the daughter of Wallia, King of the Visigoths.

Education

He spent his youth at the court of Emperor Valentinian III, was a student of Aetius.

Career

Details of his early career are not preserved, but he must have been successful in both the political and military spheres. He was formed important friendships such as that with that of Majority, the future emperor, and he was selected in 456 by the emperor Avantus to stop a threatened attack of the Vandals on Sicily. He succeeded and was awarded the rank of comes. Shortly thereafter he was raised to the rank of master of soldiers.

At the same time, Ricimer began to display his political strength. In 456 he cooperated with Majorian to depose Avitus. After a short interval Majorian was recognized as emperor by the Eastern Roman Empire. Ricimer was raised to the rank of patrician in 457, and in 459 Majorian rewarded him with the consulship. However, Majorian and Ricimer began to draw apart, and when the former failed in his expedition against Gaiseric and the Vandals, Ricimer had him deposed and executed (461). In November 461 A. D. Ricimer made Livius Severus emperor, but the appointment failed to win approval either in the East or with Gaiseric, who had emerged as an independent political force. In 464 Ricimer defeated Beorger, the king of the Alans, who had invaded Italy. In 465 Severus died, and a political compromise was worked out. Leo, the Eastern Roman emperor, sent Anthemius to the West to become emperor. Ricimer agreed to the appointment when he received the hand of Anthemius's daughter in marriage.

Hostility soon developed, however, and by 470 the split was complete. Anthemius executed friends of Ricimer, and Ricimer in turn attacked Anthemius at Rome. In 472 Anthemius was defeated and killed by Ricimer. Ricimer's next candidate for the emperorship was Olybrius, who was satisfactory to Gaiseric. Olybrius was installed as emperor but soon lost the services of Ricimer, who died from a hemorrhage on August 18, 472.

Achievements

• Ricimer, in full Flavius Ricimer, was a general who acted as kingmaker in the Western Roman Empire from 456 to 472.

Connections

Flavius Ricimer married Alypia, they did not have children.

Father:

Rechila

Rechila was the Suevic King of Galicia from 438 until his death.

Wife:

Alypia

Alypia was a noblewoman of the Western Roman Empire, daughter of the Western Roman Emperor Anthemius.