Those Germans, unfortunately, were not one shade better than
the effeminate Italians; they were just as faithless and cruel.
Iiiciiner soon became faithless to Avitus, who took possession
of the bishopric of Placentia; but soon quitted that place also,
and seems to have died a natural death, in consequence of a
disease which was brought on by the persecutions to which
he was exposed.

Bicimer now_j raised to the place of Avitus a man of a
character such as one would hardly expect to meet with in the
time of Rome’s decay. This was Majorian, apparently a native
of Italy (a.d. 457). Unwarlike as the Italian people then
were, they still produced distinguished generals, as we see in
the case of Aetius and Majorian. The latter Certainlydeserves
the praise bestowed upon him by Procopius. Sidonius, the
inscription on his tomb, his laws, the single traits which are
related of him, all are unanimous in Iiispraise. Procopiussays
that he excelled all Roman emperors; and he certainly was a
man of high character and of very practical mind. He main-
tained his station for four years; and although he had by
his side the faithless barbarian Ricimer, who had the main
forces of the empire at his disposal, yet Majorian was lord and
master. The Visigoths in Upper Languedoc and Catalonia
acknowledged his personal greatness, and did homage to him
and the majesty of the Roman empire, which he had restored.
The Vandals were the plague of the empire: he intended
therefore to undertake an expedition against them ; for which
he had made extraordinary preparations, being determined to
come to no arrangement with them, but to destroy them. He
would indeed have crushed them, had he not been thwarted
by domestic treachery. It is evident that Ricimer betrayed
him, and induced Genseric to cause a conflagration in the
Roman fleet at Carthagena. Majorian, nevertheless, concluded
an advantageous peace, which secured at least the coasts of Italy
and Sicily. When he returned, a conspiracy was formed
against him at the instigation of Ricimcr : he was compelled
to abdicate, and died a few days afterwards (a.d. 461).

Ricimer¹S unlimited power under a nominal emperor lasted
until A.D. 467. During those seven years, the name of sovereign
was borne by an utterly unknown emperor, Libius Severus.
Ricimer had a mercenary army consisting of what are called
foederati, which included all kinds of German tribes, and he

regarded Italy as Iiis kingdom; but Iiis own condition in which
he had to protect Italy was dangerous, and he could not maintain
it a°∙ainst Genseric. His power was limited. All that the
Romans yet possessed in Gaul and Spain were under the com-
mand of the magister militum, Acgidius, a very distinguished
man and a Roman, who made himself independent, ruling-
over Spain and a part of Gaul. Marcellinus, another com-
mander, an old and faithful servant of Aetius, set himself up
as prince of Illyricum. After Severus’ death, A.D. 465, Rici-
mer ruled alone, being confined to Italy, which country was
still a prey to the Vandal pirates. Under these circumstances,
Ricimer allowed the senate to apply to the Emperor Leo at
Constantinople, with the request that he would appoint an
emperor under his own supremacy and succour Italy.

Leo appointed Anthemius, a son-in-law of his predecessor
Marcian, whom he was glad to get rid of, and sent him to the
West with considerable forces, making preparations for a great
undertaking against the Vandals. By the death of Aegidius
the prefecture of Gaul had become reunited to Italy, and
Marcellinus too had placed Illyricum again under the supre-
macy of the emperor. By an expedition made from Italy,
Sardiniawas taken from the Vandals; and Basiliscus, a general
of the East and Leo’s brother-in-law, led a great army against
Carthage, while another was sent against Tripolis. The under-
taking was hopeful, and its commencement successful; but
Genseric, who always conquered by discovering the venal
among his opponents, averted the decisive blow by cunning
and fraud : there is even a suspicion that Basiliscus sold him-
self, and it is not impossible that Ricimer too was guilty ; but
however this may be, the expedition proved an utter failure.
Ricimer and Anthemius now quarrelled with each other,
although Anthcmius had given his daughter in marriage to
Ricimer. Thus the aid expected from the eastern empire
occasioned a greater misfortune than that against which it had
been besought. Ricimer took up his court at Milan, while
Anthemius resided at Rome. Both were implacable enemies,
and an attempt at a reconciliation led to nothing.

A new pretender, Olybrius, the husband of Valentinian’s
younger daughter, who, besides this claim, put forth those of
the Anician family, now offered himself to Ricimer,who caused
him to be proclaimed; but Anthemius refused to surrender

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