Misplaced Pages

#941058

58-629: In 455 she was taken prisoner in the Sack of Rome by Gaiseric , King of the Vandals , together with her mother Licinia Eudoxia and her elder sister Eudocia , spending several years in the Vandal Kingdom while Gaiseric promoted Olybrius's claim to the empire. Placidia and her mother were ransomed from Africa by Leo I , the eastern emperor, in c.  461 . Placidia spent much of her life at Constantinople , where her daughter Anicia Juliana

116-472: A "malignant fever". Paul the Deacon reports that Olybrius next appointed Gundobad as his Patrician . On 22 October or 2 November, 472, Olybrius himself died. John of Antioch attributes his death to dropsy . Cassiodorus and Magnus Felix Ennodius report the death without noting a cause. All report on how brief the reign was. In 478, Malchus reported that "ambassadors came to Byzantium from Carthage, under

174-531: A Roman soldier". Sidonius Apollinaris makes a cryptic comment about a Burgundian whose "traitorous leadership" led the crowd to panic and to the slaughter of the Emperor. His identity is unknown, presumably a general who failed to face the Vandals for one reason or another. Later historians have suggested two high-ranking Burgundians as possible candidates, Gondioc and his brother Chilperic . Both joined Theodoric II in invading Hispania later in 455. Olybrius

232-476: A bond between a member of the senatorial aristocracy and the conjoined Valentinianic – Theodosian dynasties. The year of their wedding is not recorded, although the historian Priscus implies it took place before the Vandals under Gaiseric 's sack of Rome (June 2–16, 455). Oost has pointed out that in his chronicle Hydatius wrote Placidia was unmarried as of 455. Steven Muhlberger points out that many of

290-555: A cross and the new legend SALVS MVNDI ("Welfare of the World") instead of the usual SALVS REIPVBLICAE ("Welfare of the State"). It is also noteworthy that Olybrius is depicted on his coins without helm and spear, common symbols on his predecessors' coinage, suggesting he had little interest in military matters. Olybrius had a palace in the Tenth region of Constantinople at one end of

348-608: A daughter, Anicia Juliana , in 462. Olybrius was nearly chosen for the Western throne again in 465, after Libius Severus died. Gaiseric was again his major supporter, but the Eastern Emperor Leo I chose the noble Procopius Anthemius . Olybrius' association with Gaiseric did not harm his career, however, as the Eastern court chose him for the high honour of the consulate in 464. Sources agree that Olybrius rose to

406-489: A peace treaty to Gaiseric. Leo suspected that Olybrius favored the Vandal king, however, and would secretly take his side and betray the suspicious Emperor. Leo had Olybrius followed by another envoy bearing a letter for Anthemius stating: Ricimer had placed a guard at Ostia who found the secret letter. Ricimer showed the document to Olybrius, which convinced Olybrius to accept the purple. From Ricimer's point of view, Olybrius

464-412: A strong counter-argument." The reign of Olybrius was short and uneventful. Soon after the death of Anthemius, Ricimer also died, on 9 or 19 August; his nephew Gundobad was elevated to magister militum in his place. Very little is known of Olybrius' policy; in his Vita Epifanius , Ennodius describes him as a pious man who acted accordingly. As evidence, he had minted a new series of gold coins bearing

522-602: A young man named Majorian (the future emperor), whom Oost describes as having "distinguished himself in a subaltern capacity fighting in Gaul against the Franks under Aëtius' own command." Doing so, according to Roman customs, would instantly link Majorian to the Imperial family and put him in line to succeed Valentinian. Once Flavius Aetius learned of this plan, he rusticated Majorian to his estates at some date before 451, and he

580-490: Is the only emperor that is definitely known to have visited Rome between 363 and 395. Valentinian III moved his court to Rome in 450 and stayed there for the remainder of his life. The population of the city had fallen from 700,000-1,000,000 at the end of the 4th century to 300,000-500,000 by 455. The Vandals landed at Ostia , located at the mouth of the Tiber only a few miles southwest of Rome. Maximus tried to flee Rome, but

638-481: The Paschal Chronicle , and Paullus Diaconus – support this version. Edward Gibbon accepts this implication as fact, although none of the three sources explicitly state that Leo supported Olybrius. What other reason could there be, Bury asks, then answers his own rhetorical question: "the facts that Anthemius was Leo's chosen candidate, his filius , and that Olybrius was the friend of his foe Genseric, are

SECTION 10

#1732776179942

696-410: The augusta Licinia Eudoxia, widow of Valentinian. He also elevated his own son Palladius to the rank of caesar and had him marry Eudocia , elder daughter of Valentinian. According to those historians who believe that Olybrius was Petronius' son, it was in 455 that Olybrius married Placidia, between 17 April, when Petronius was acclaimed augustus , and 31 May, when he died; this would explain

754-637: The Mese , the main street, along the Constantinianae . Olybrius also restored, at his own expense, the nearby church of Saint Euphemia in Chalcedon , a famous church that had been chosen by the augusta Pulcheria ( r.  414–453 ), sister of Theodosius II ( r.  402–450 ), for the Council of Chalcedon in 451. This choice was a sign of the bond between Olybrius, a Roman senator, with

812-457: The Visigoth king Theodoric II and ruled for two years; he was deposed by Majorian , who ruled for four years before being killed by his general Ricimer in 461. Gaiseric supported Olybrius to assume the vacant Western throne because Gaiseric's son Huneric and Olybrius had married the two daughters of Valentinian III, and with Olybrius on the throne, Gaiseric could exert great influence on

870-782: The Visigothic sack of 410 shocked the Roman world and symbolized the decline and impending fall of the Western Roman Empire , marking a pivotal moment in European history . Since its founding in 395 AD, the Western Roman Empire was in a prolonged state of decline . One of its major issues was a mass migration of Germanic and other non-Roman peoples known as the Migration Period . which led to

928-401: The Western Roman Empire and Vandal Kingdom included a marriage of state between the daughter of Roman Emperor Valentinian III and the son of Gaiseric. Valentinian's successor Petronius Maximus violated the treaty by marrying his son to Valentinian's daughter which led to Gaiseric declaring Rome violated their treaty and launched an invasion. Maximus did not organise a defence of Rome and

986-409: The barbarian mercenaries. Odoacer , leader of the foederati , joined the cause of Ricimer, and also Gundobad , the nephew of Ricimer. According to John Malalas and John of Antioch, Gundobad managed to slay Anthemius and end the conflict. They claim that Anthemius had been abandoned by his last followers and sought refuge in a church, but Gundobad killed him anyway. But the two chroniclers differ on

1044-698: The sack of Rome in 410 by the Germanic Visigoths under Alaric . Rome was sacked in 410, the first time the city had fallen since c.  387 BCE , by the Visigoths under Alaric I . A peace treaty was signed between the Romans and Vandals in 442, in which the Vandals acquired Africa Proconsularis, Byzacena, eastern Numidia, and western Tripolitania while the Romans retained Mauretania Caesariensis, Mauretania Sitifensis, and western Numidia. A marriage alliance between Huneric and Eudocia ,

1102-489: The Emperor Valentinian provoked a quarrel with him that ended with the Emperor killing Aetius with his own sword. The following year, Valentinian was killed by some soldiers who had served under Aetius, probably instigated by the patricius Petronius Maximus, who succeeded to the throne. Petronius, who was a high-ranking imperial officer and a member of a family belonging to the senatorial aristocracy, married

1160-422: The Vandals against Maximus. Gaiseric proclaimed that the broken betrothal between Huneric and Eudocia invalidated the peace treaty and exploited the situation as a casus belli to invade Rome, gathering a large force and sailing from Carthage . Rome had ceased to be the capital of the empire by the beginning of the 4th century and a multitude of cities served as the capital of the western empire. Theodosius I

1218-577: The Visigoths to enter Suebian -controlled Hispania in return for Theodoric's support. Avitus was popular with the Germanic elites, but he proved to be unpopular with the Roman aristocracy and struggled to gain control of the government. Despite the popular image of the Vandals as destroyers, the severity of the sack is debatable, with claims that it inflicted little murder, violence, or arson . This interpretation seems to stem from Prosper's claim of

SECTION 20

#1732776179942

1276-585: The Western Empire. Therefore, Gaiseric freed Licinia Eudoxia (fulfilling Daniel's prophesy) and her daughter Placidia (Olybrius' wife), but he did not cease his raids on Italy's coasts. His project failed, however, as Ricimer, who had become the Magister militum of the West, chose Libius Severus as new Emperor (461–465). Placidia was now free, however, joining her husband at Constantinople , where they had

1334-568: The Western Roman Emperor Anthemius was involved in a civil war with his magister militum and son-in-law Ricimer . According to John Malalas, Leo decided to intervene and send Olybrius to quell the hostilities. Olybrius had also been instructed to offer a peace treaty to Gaiseric on his behalf. However, Leo had also sent Modestus, another messenger, to Anthemius asking him to arrange the deaths of both Ricimer and Olybrius. But Ricimer had placed Goths loyal to him at

1392-600: The accounts of Priscus, Procopius , John Malalas , Theodorus Lector , Evagrius Scholasticus , Theophanes the Confessor , Joannes Zonaras and Cedrenus , Placidia can be estimated to have stayed a prisoner in Carthage for six to seven years. In 461 or 462, Leo I , Eastern Roman Emperor , paid a large ransom for Eudoxia and Placidia. Placidia seems to have spent the rest of her life in Constantinople . In 472,

1450-472: The actual power was held by Ricimer and his nephew Gundobad . Olybrius was born in Rome , in the ancient and powerful gens Anicia , of Italian descent. According to the consensus of historians, he was related to the consul Anicius Hermogenianus Olybrius , whose wife and cousin, Anicia Juliana, had the same name that Olybrius gave to his own daughter. Other historians consider this questionable, as "Juliana"

1508-522: The approach of Gaiseric's army. During his residence in the Eastern capital, Olybrius expressed his interest in religious matters. He met Daniel the Stylite , who, according to Christian tradition, prophesied the liberation of Licinia Eudoxia. In the meantime, the Western Empire went through a rapid succession of Emperors. After Petronius, the Gallic-Roman senator Avitus was proclaimed Emperor by

1566-494: The city for two weeks before returning to Africa, during which the imperial government of the Western Roman Empire was effectively paralysed. They marched south through Campania , devastating the region, and attempted to sack Neapolis but failed as the city had better defences. Gaiseric and his army looted great amounts of treasure from Rome. They "tore off half the roof" of the Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximus by stripping away

1624-506: The confusion and weakness of the Western Empire in the wake of Valentinian's turbulent succession, moving into Italy and sacking Rome in June 455. Before returning to Africa, the Vandals took Licinia Eudoxia and her two daughters as hostages. According to the 6th-century historian John Malalas , Olybrius was in Constantinople at the time. On the other hand, the 6th-century chronicler Evagrius Scholasticus writes that Olybrius had fled Rome on

1682-540: The daughter of Emperor Valentinian III , was also made. Petronius Maximus is alleged to have influenced Valentinian III to have Flavius Aetius killed on 21 September 454. Maximus then conspired to have Valentinian III murdered on 16 March 455, and Maximus rose to become emperor on 17 March. Maximus, in order to legitimize his rule, married Licinia Eudoxia , the widow of Valentinian III, and married Eudocia to his son Palladius. Licinia Eudoxia, however, in revenge for her husband's murder and forced marriage, conspired with

1740-463: The death of Majorian in 461. Due to his marriage to Placidia, Olybrius could be considered both an heir to the Theodosian dynasty and a member of the Vandal royal family through marriage. In 465, Libius Severus died and Gaiseric again promoted Olybrius as his candidate for the Western throne. Procopius reported that Olybrius maintained a decent relationship with his Vandal supporter. According to

1798-441: The emperor had honored the wife of Olybrius..." Placidia is last mentioned c. 484. Placidia was probably the last Western Roman Empress whose name is still known. Glycerius and Romulus Augustus are not known to have been married. Julius Nepos had married a niece of Verina and Leo I , whose name is not mentioned in surviving records. Her only known child and daughter was Anicia Juliana , born c. 462, who spent her life at

Placidia - Misplaced Pages Continue

1856-403: The empress Eudoxia, who had summoned him; her daughter Placidia, the wife of the patrician Olybrius , who then was staying at Constantinople; and even the maiden Eudocia. After he had returned, Gaiseric gave the younger Eudocia, a maiden, the daughter of the empress Eudoxia, to his son Huneric in marriage, and he held them both, the mother and the daughter, in great honor" (Chron. 366). Eudoxia

1914-486: The events in the chronicle of Hydatius are based on hearsay, that problems with his chronology "resulted from delays and distortions in the best information to which he had access," and thus the evidence from Hydatius is not as decisive as Oost believed. Regardless, the powerful magister militum Aetius had forced Valentinian to betroth Placidia to his own son Gaudentius , so Olybrius could not have married her before Aetius' death. Aetius' death came 21 September 454, when

1972-525: The gilt bronze roof tiles, hence the modern term vandalism . The two-week Vandal sack of 455 is generally considered more destructive than the three-day Visigoth sack of 410. Victor of Vita records that several shiploads of slave captives arrived in Africa from Rome, who were then divided between the Vandals. Deogratias , the Bishop of Carthage , bought the freedom of some of the Romans by selling all of

2030-455: The imperial Theodosian dynasty. Olybrius died of dropsy after only seven months of rule, most likely on 2 November. In 1707, Apostolo Zeno and Pietro Pariati wrote a libretto entitled Flavio Anicio Olibrio . The story told in the opera is quite different from the real one, despite the fact that Zeno claimed to use several historical sources ( Evagrius Scholasticus l.2.c.7, Procopius of Caesarea , Historia Vandalorum , l.1, Paul

2088-465: The leadership of Alexander, the guardian of Olybrius' wife [sc. Placidia]. He formerly had been sent there by Zeno with the agreement of Placidia herself. The ambassadors said that Huneric had honestly set himself up as a friend of the emperor, and so loved all things Roman that he renounced everything that he had formerly claimed from the public revenues and also the other moneys that Leo had earlier seized from his wife [sc. Eudocia]... He gave thanks that

2146-815: The location of the event. Malalas places it in the Old St Peter's Basilica while the Antiochean places it in Santa Maria in Trastevere . However Cassiodorus , Marcellinus Comes and Procopius report that Anthemius was killed by Ricimer himself. The Chronica Gallica of 511 mentions both theories, uncertain of which of the two men had done the deed. With Anthemius dead, Olybrius became the sole Western Roman Emperor by default. Placidia became his Empress without actually leaving Constantinople, remaining there with their daughter. On 18 August, 472, Ricimer died of

2204-511: The marriage between Olybrius and Valentinian's younger daughter as a move to secure Petronius' legitimacy as emperor. Another possibility is that Olybrius and Placidia were engaged in 455, and only after Gaiseric freed her from his possession in the early 460s were they at last married. Oost mentions this possibility in his book Galla Placidia Augusta . The surviving evidence is not sufficient to allow us to decide between these alternatives. The Vandals , led by King Gaiseric , took advantage of

2262-481: The marriage of Placidia and Olybrius the third marriage between a member of the Theodosian dynasty and a member of the extended Anicii family within the same year. According to the chronicler Malchus , "Around this time, the empress Eudoxia , the widow of the emperor Valentinian and the daughter of the emperor Theodosius and Eudocia , remained unhappily at Rome and, enraged at the tyrant Maximus because of

2320-585: The maternal, Aelia Eudocia , and Placidia for the paternal, Galla Placidia . Placidia is estimated to have been born between 439 and 443. In 454 or 455, Placidia married Anicius Olybrius , a member of the Anicii family , a prominent family with known members active in both Italia and Gaul . The exact relation of Olybrius to other members of the family is not known as his parents are not named in primary sources. Several theories exist as to their identity. Originally Emperor Valentinian intended to marry Placidia to

2378-497: The murder of her spouse, she summoned the Vandal Gaiseric , king of Africa , against Maximus, who was ruling Rome. He came suddenly to Rome with his forces and captured the city , and having destroyed Maximus and all his forces, he took everything from the palace, even the bronze statues. He even led away as captives surviving senators , accompanied by their wives; along with them he also carried off to Carthage in Africa

Placidia - Misplaced Pages Continue

2436-476: The ports of Rome and Ostia Antica and they intercepted Modestus, delivering him and his message to Ricimer himself. Ricimer revealed the contents of the message to Olybrius and the two men formed a new alliance against their former masters. In April or May 472, Olybrius was proclaimed emperor and the civil war proper began. John of Antioch claims that Anthemius was supported by most of the Romans while Ricimer, by

2494-483: The pre- Justinian court of Constantinople . Juliana was considered "both the most aristocratic and the wealthiest inhabitant". Oost comments that "through her the descendants of Galla Placidia [Placidia's grandmother] were among the nobility of the Eastern Empire." Sack of Rome (455) The sack of Rome in 455, was carried out by the Vandals led by their king Gaiseric . A peace treaty between

2552-486: The promise of leniency which Pope Leo I coaxed from Gaiseric. The Byzantine historian Procopius reported the burning of a church. Some modern historians like John Henry Haaren maintain that temples, public buildings, private houses and even the emperor's palace were sacked. The Vandals also took immense quantities of gold, silver, jewels and furniture, destroyed works of art, and killed a number of citizens. Olybrius Anicius Olybrius (died 2 November 472)

2610-530: The valuables from his church. Deogratias hosted and fed them in larger churches in Carthage until they could be repatriated back to Rome. Avitus, who had the military and financial support of King Theodoric II , was acclaimed emperor by his army in Arles on 9-10 July, and was later recognized by the Roman Senate . He was later overthrown by Majorian and Ricimer after a civil war in 456 . Avitus allowed

2668-489: The western throne thanks to the western magister militum Ricimer. They differ over the timing and order of the events leading to his ascent. In the version provided by John Malalas , and championed by J. B. Bury , Olybrius was sent to Italy in 472 by Leo I , ostensibly to mediate between Ricimer and Anthemius, who was besieged by Ricimer in Rome. Once he had accomplished this, Olybrius would then continue to Carthage and offer

2726-402: Was Roman emperor from July 472 until his death later that same year; his rule as augustus in the western Roman Empire was not recognised as legitimate by the ruling augustus in the eastern Roman Empire , Leo I ( r.  457–474 ). He was in reality a puppet ruler raised to power by Ricimer , the magister militum of Germanic descent, and was mainly interested in religion, while

2784-503: Was lynched by a Roman mob while trying to escape the city. Pope Leo I convinced Gaiseric to avoid the use of violence against residents of the city. The Vandals looted Rome for two weeks, causing widespread destruction to the city, stripping it of most of its valuables, and taking some residents as slaves . Maximus' successor Avitus had little support which led to the outbreak of the Roman civil war of 456 . The Sack of Rome in 455 and

2842-442: Was a common name in the gens Anicia, and because Hermogenianus seems to have begotten only one daughter, who took chastity vows. Other possible fathers have therefore been proposed: either Anicius Probus (suggested by Settipani) or, according to some clues, Petronius Maximus . Olybrius married Placidia , younger daughter of western augustus Valentinian III ( r.  425–455 ) and his wife Licinia Eudoxia , thus creating

2900-422: Was a good candidate, as a member of the Roman senatorial aristocracy and because of his marriage to Placidia; his marriage to her makes him the last emperor of the conjoined Valentinianic – Theodosian dynasties to rule in the west. Ricimer had Anthemius killed and Olybrius acclaimed Emperor (11 July 472). The competing version of events does not mention the secret letter. Instead, after arriving in Rome, Olybrius

2958-503: Was born in c.  461/462 and where she remained during her husband's brief reign as augustus in Rome. She was a nobilissima femina , known to have been living in Constantinople in 478 and 484. Placidia was the second daughter of Valentinian III and Licinia Eudoxia, younger sister of Eudocia, who became the wife of Huneric , son of Gaiseric , king of the Vandals . Both were named for their grandmothers: Eudocia for

SECTION 50

#1732776179942

3016-405: Was in Constantinople at the time of the siege of Rome as noted by John Malalas . He was separated from his wife for the duration of her captivity. He reportedly visited Daniel the Stylite who predicted that Eudoxia and Placidia would return. Priscus and John of Antioch report that Gaiseric entertained the idea of placing Olybrius on the throne of the Western Roman Empire, at least as early as

3074-418: Was likely a son of Petronius Maximus himself, reasoning that Petronius, once on the throne, would be unlikely to promote distant relatives as potential successors. According to Hydatius , Petronius arranged the marriage of his eldest stepdaughter Eudocia to Palladius , his eldest son and Caesar . They suggest that he followed suit in arranging the marriage of Placidia to one of his own younger sons, thus making

3132-477: Was presumably following the example of her sister-in-law Justa Grata Honoria who had summoned Attila the Hun for help against an unwanted marriage. According to the chronicler Prosper of Aquitaine , Maximus was in Rome when the Vandals arrived. He gave anyone who could permission to flee the city. He attempted to flee himself but was assassinated by the imperial slaves . He had reigned for seventy-seven days. His body

3190-550: Was proclaimed emperor several months before Anthemius' death, in April or May 472. Ricimer then besieged the part of Rome where Anthemius was for several months until the lawful Emperor was abandoned by his partisans, captured in a church, and put to death by Gundobad , Ricimer's nephew. This version implies that Olybrius was secretly supported by the Emperor Leo, which explains why Leo sent him there. Three sources – Theophanes ,

3248-504: Was recalled to Rome only after Aetius' death. Aetius also attempted to consolidate his position "by compelling the Emperor to swear to friendship with him and to agree to betroth Placidia to his own younger son Gaudentius ." Mommaerts and Kelley have proposed a theory that Petronius Maximus , the successor of Valentinian III on the Western Roman throne in 455, was behind the marriage of Placidia to Olybrius. They argue that Olybrius

3306-598: Was spotted by an angry mob and stoned to death before being thrown into the Tiber. Before approaching, the Vandals knocked down the aqueducts that supplied water to the city. Pope Leo I was able to convince Gaiseric to spare those who did not resist, protect buildings from fire, and to not torture captives. While Gaiseric kept his promise not to burn and slaughter, he did carry off some inhabitants as slaves , and also managed to capture Eudoxia and her daughters Eudocia and Placidia as they tried to escape. The Vandals sacked

3364-420: Was thrown into the Tiber and never recovered. Victor of Tonnena agrees, adding that Pope Leo I negotiated with Gaiseric for the security of the city's population. Hydatius attributes the assassination to revolting troops of the Roman army , enraged at Maximus' attempted flight. The Chronica Gallica of 511 attributes the assassination to a rioting crowd. Jordanes identifies a single assassin as "Ursus,

#941058