Cambridge Ancient Hi.. - Index of

528 19. italy, a.d. 425,605
end it was the eastern emperor, Leo I, who precipitated change, despatching
a naval expedition against the Vandals and sending the eastern general
and patrician Anthemius to Italy as its new Augustus. Anthemius seemingly
attracted considerable support in Rome itself: the city held out for five
months on his behalf when it was besieged by Ricimer’s forces in 472. 13 But
the hostility between him and Ricimer was never more than thinly disguised,
and it seems – if Ennodius’ reference to Ricimer as princeps can be
taken seriously – that by the end Ricimer ruled what was in essence an independent
northern Italy. 14 Again it seems that Ricimer relied on an Italian
power base. When his hostility to Anthemius became open with the condemnation
and accusation of his associate Romanus, Ricimer seems to
have pursued his own independent Vandal policy, a move which surely
would have cultivated favour in Italy. 15
Ultimately Anthemius was ousted, and his replacement provides a final
indication of Ricimer’s dependence on Italian loyalties. The new emperor,
Olybrius, was a pleasing candidate to the Italians. He came from the Anicii,
a prominent senatorial clan, and was therefore a more attractive personality
to the Italians than the Greek Anthemius. Moreover, Olybrius had
strong family connections with Geiseric, so his elevation promised the cessation
of Vandal hostilities. 16 Such hopes were short-lived: Ricimer died
soon after making his new appointment, and Olybrius followed him to the
grave after a reign of only seven months. 17 But the later stages of Ricimer’s
ascendancy did more than fail to resolve the Vandal problem: they also
highlighted the increasing strain between Italian interests and those of the
eastern emperors. Neither Olybrius’ appointment, nor that of his successor
Glycerius, was accepted by Constantinople.
Similarly, eastern candidates proved to be unacceptable emperors in
Italy. The last to be sent, Nepos was expelled by his magister militum Orestes,
who set up his own son, Romulus, on the throne. But Orestes failed to
appreciate the power of the army in Italy, and when he rejected its demand
for land, the soldiery looked to another of its commanders, Odoacer, as
champion. Orestes was slain at Ticinum (Pavia), while Romulus was
deposed and sent into retirement in Campania. Odoacer was proclaimed
king by the troops, and the decision was accepted by the senate, which sent
a delegation to persuade the eastern emperor Zeno to ratify the arrangement.
Unsurprisingly, Zeno refused, but with Odoacar’s elevation as king,
Italy had taken a fateful step: it was now effectively independent of
Constantinople, and all peaceful efforts to restore it to the empire would
end in failure. 18
13 Joh. Ant. fr. 209.1. 14 Ennod. Vita Epiph. 53; cf. O’Flynn (1983) 119–21.
15 Joh. Ant. fr. 207. 16 Clover (1978). 17 Marc. Com. Chron. s.a. 472.2.
18 Procop. Wars v.1.2–8; Malchus fr. 14 Blockley.
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