Owner Comments:
“
Although I know their names well, I won’t mention them at all. They only lived a short time after attaining the office and as a result accomplished nothing worth mentioning. Such was the course of events in the west.”
The 6th century AD historian Procopius (not to be confused with the 4th century AD usurper of the same name) wrote extensively about the history of the Roman Empire’s wars. These works include two volumes devoted to the Vandals and the final fall of what today is referred to as the Western Roman Empire. Procopius provides an account of the last Theodosian-Valentinian dynast, Valentinian III, and the rise of his successor Petronius Maximus, who reigned only two months. The Western Roman Empire lasted only another two decades, ruled by no fewer than eight Emperors - Avitus, Majorian, Libius Severus, Anthemius, Olybrius, Glycerius, Julius Nepos, and Romulus Augustulus – ostensibly as puppets, made and unmade by powerful Germanic military commanders ruling from behind the throne. Some historians refer to these last rulers in the west as “shadow Emperors” since, consistent with the epithet, very little was ever recorded about them. Even Procopius paid them hardly any attention at all.
Rather than the Emperor, true power in the waning years of the Western Roman Empire resided with the top military commander, or
magister militum, most notably the mixed Visigothic and Suevic prince, Flavius Ricimer. Ricimer first rose to the position of
comes, or count, under Emperor Avitus, who succeeded Petronius Maximus after the latter’s death during the 455 AD sack of Rome by Geiseric, King of the Vandals. Avitus, who rose to power on Visigoth support and was never recognized by Constantinople, was eventually ousted by Ricimer and his ally Majorian. The stage was now set for the ascension of Majorian, who surprisingly managed the west's resurgence, if only temporarily. Majorian fell short of his final goal to defeat the Vandals, and then fell at Ricimer's hands.
Next, Ricimer supported the Roman aristocrat, Libius Severus, as his next puppet Emperor. Ricimer likely deemed Severus as more easily controlled, although the
magister militum may have been more interested in promoting Italy’s defense rather than personal aspirations. To this end, Ricimer and Severus struck a deal with their Visigothic foederati in Gaul. The Visigoths accepted the proposed concessions, in return bolstering Rome's defenses. In imitation, if not honor, of their Roman colleagues, the Visigoths in Gaul struck gold coins (solidi and tremissi) in the name of several Roman Emperors, and such issues have become known as pseudo-imperial coinage. This very rare gold tremissis provides an example. It was struck in Severus’ name, and includes an obverse depiction of his diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust. The reverse design, Victory holding a long, jeweled cross with COMOB inscribed in exergue, mimics solidi struck at Constantinople. The reverse inscription, VICTORI-A AVGGG, suggests three Emperors: Eastern Roman Emperor Leo, Severus, and, perhaps, Ricimer. In Italy, Severus struck a few official issues, including one in silver and a couple in bronze. All are exceedingly rare; coins struck towards the end of the Western Roman Empire are as shadowy as the rulers they represent.
Severus died in 465 AD, probably of natural causes, although at least one source cites poisoning by Ricimer. After Severus’ death, Geiseric and his Vandals supported Olybrius for the Western throne, intending to dispense with Ricimer as the power behind it. In 467 AD, Eastern Augustus Leo countered by chosing his Illyrian general, Anthemius, as western Emperor, and the Dalmatian general, Marcellinus, to serve as second in command. A new assault against the Vandals began, and this time, the eastern Empire committed forces in an expanded and expensive joint operation. The effort failed spectacularly, and Marcellinus died at his own soldiers' hands, perhaps at the bidding of Ricimer, who managed his own reinstatement as highest ranking military leader in the west. The bankrupted Empire descended into chaos as Ricimer and Alnthemius waged open civil war. Ricimer besieged Rome for several months in 472 AD, culminating in Anthemius’ capture and execution.
Ricimer once again resumed his rule from behind the throne, employing Olybrius as his next (and as it turned out last) puppet. In 472 AD, both Ricimer and Olybrius died of natural causes. Succeeding Ricimer was his nephew Gundobad, who installed Glycerius as the west’s next puppet Emperor. In 474 AD, Gundobad left Italy to take his recently deceased father’s place as King of the Burgundians. Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I, who regarded Glycerius as a usurper, appointed the commander of Dalmatia, namely Julius Nepos, as the next official Emperor of the west, who forced Glycerius to abdicate. Barely a year later, Nepos was deposed by his own
magister militum, Orestes, who crowned his own son Romulus Augustulus as puppet Emperor. Within a year, the Germanic military commander Odoacer staged an uprising that resulted in Orestes execution and Romulus’ expulsion. Consequently, Odoacer became the first King of Italy, a development commonly viewed as the Western Roman Empire’s final dissolution.
With such a plethora of puppets and princes, it's no wonder we barely know the final, shadowy rulers of Western Roman Empire.
Coin Details: VISIGOTHS, Gaul, Pseudo-Imperial coinage, AV Tremissis (14mm, 1.27 g, 6h), in the name of Roman emperor Libius Severus (461-465), NGC Grade: XF, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 3/5, Obverse: Diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, D N SEVI-RVS P F AC, Reverse: Victory standing left, holding long, jeweled cross, VICTORI-A AVGGG, COMOB in exergue, References: RIC X 3762; Reinhart 81; MEC 1, –; ex-Adams Collection.