A guide to the Western Roman Empire in its last 81 years. It consists of both historical facts and fictional perspectives of people who were there.
Easy to understand and entirely original because I'm not an expert, but neither are you.
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Right after the failed expedition, the resurgent Visigoths under their king Euric revolted against the empire and tried to bring all of Gaul under their control. Anthemius attempted to campaign against them. He recruited Bretons from Armorica (Brittany) and their king Riothamus had some success, occupying Bourges with 12000 men. However, once they reached the core of Visigothic territory, they were then outnumbered and soundly defeated. Riothamus either died or fled to Burgundian territory. Anthemius then decided to take matters into his own hands and sent an army over under the nominal leadership of his son Anthemiolus. However, Euric intercepted the army at the Rhone river and destroyed it, killing Anthemiolus and three other generals.
One of Anthemius's internal policies was to bestow the title of patrician upon a great number of individuals, ranging from the aristocrats to even civilians.
However, Ricimer did not like an emperor who was too independent of him. Tensions between the two men escalated when Anthemius sentenced Romanus, an Italian senator who was supported by Ricimer, to death for treachery. After the death of Romanus, several fights broke out between the supporters of Ricimer and Anthemius, and it took Epiphanus, the bishop of Pavia, to mediate a truce.
The truce was broken in 472 AD when the conflict was renewed. Anthemius feigned illness and retreated to St. Peter's Basilica. Leo sent Olybrius, a consul, to mediate. However, Leo had suspicions towards Olybrius's special relationship with Geiseric, and sent a letter to Anthemius urging him to kill Olybrius. Unfortunately, Ricimer intercepted the letter and showed it to Olybrius, proclaiming him emperor immediately after.
A full-blown civil war broke out. Anthemius gathered the aristocracy and citizens of Rome and faced down against his magister militum and his barbarian units in Rome. Ricimer blockaded Anthemius in Rome for five months, eventually being able to cut off the Tiber from the Palatine and starving Anthemius's supporters. All attempts to send for help failed, and Anthemius's supporters were killed in large numbers. Losing all hope, he fled to St. Peter's again, but he was caught by Ricimer's nephew Gundobad and beheaded on 11 July 472 AD.
However, Ricimer died very shortly after Anthemius. In his place, Gundobad was elevated to magister militum. Olybrius died of dropsy only seven months into his reign.
In the following months, Leo failed to choose a successor, and Gundobad elevated a military commander of Dalmatia, Glycerius, to emperor.
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