| Romanus | |
|---|---|
| Usurper of the Western Roman Empire | |
| Reign | 470 |
| Predecessor | Anthemius |
| Successor | Anthemius |
| Died | 470 Rome, Italia |
Romanus (died 470) was a Roman usurper in the Western Roman Empire who unsuccessfully rebelled against the Emperor Anthemius in 470 before being executed at Rome.
Career
Romanus was a Roman Senator and a Patrician [1] who had achieved the rank of Magister officiorum during the final decades of the Western Roman Empire. [2] A known supporter of Ricimer, the Magister militum, [3] this brought him into conflict with the Emperor Anthemius, who both distrusted and disliked Ricimer. [4]
In 470, Anthemius fell seriously ill, and it was rumored that sorcery had been used to afflict the emperor. [5] Ricimer saw an opportunity to install a new puppet emperor, and began to lay the groundwork for the accession of Romanus to the imperial throne. [6] However, Anthemius eventually recovered, and accused a number of Ricimer's supporters of using sorcery to try to bring about his death, including Romanus, whom he also accused of seeking to usurp his throne. [7] He had the senator beheaded in 470, an act which he hoped would secure his throne. [8]
In fact, it did the opposite. Ricimer became furious about the death of Romanus, and was the trigger which he used to move against Anthemius, whom he deposed in 472. [9]
Sources
- Mathisen, Ralph W., "Anthemius (12 April 467 - 11 July 472 A.D.)", De Imperatoribus Romanis, 1998
- Jones, A.H.M., Martindale, J.R. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. II: AD395-527, Cambridge University Press, 1980
- MacGeorge, Penny, Late Roman Warlords, Oxford University Press, 2002
References
| Romanus | |
|---|---|
| Usurper of the Western Roman Empire | |
| Reign | 470 |
| Predecessor | Anthemius |
| Successor | Anthemius |
| Died | 470 Rome, Italia |
Romanus (died 470) was a Roman usurper in the Western Roman Empire who unsuccessfully rebelled against the Emperor Anthemius in 470 before being executed at Rome.
Career
Romanus was a Roman Senator and a Patrician [1] who had achieved the rank of Magister officiorum during the final decades of the Western Roman Empire. [2] A known supporter of Ricimer, the Magister militum, [3] this brought him into conflict with the Emperor Anthemius, who both distrusted and disliked Ricimer. [4]
In 470, Anthemius fell seriously ill, and it was rumored that sorcery had been used to afflict the emperor. [5] Ricimer saw an opportunity to install a new puppet emperor, and began to lay the groundwork for the accession of Romanus to the imperial throne. [6] However, Anthemius eventually recovered, and accused a number of Ricimer's supporters of using sorcery to try to bring about his death, including Romanus, whom he also accused of seeking to usurp his throne. [7] He had the senator beheaded in 470, an act which he hoped would secure his throne. [8]
In fact, it did the opposite. Ricimer became furious about the death of Romanus, and was the trigger which he used to move against Anthemius, whom he deposed in 472. [9]
Sources
- Mathisen, Ralph W., "Anthemius (12 April 467 - 11 July 472 A.D.)", De Imperatoribus Romanis, 1998
- Jones, A.H.M., Martindale, J.R. The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, Vol. II: AD395-527, Cambridge University Press, 1980
- MacGeorge, Penny, Late Roman Warlords, Oxford University Press, 2002