Ricimer Defeats Emperor Avitus: A Barbarian Runs Western Rome
Ricimer, the barbarian general who commanded Rome's army, defeated Emperor Avitus at Piacenza and forced him to abdicate. Avitus became a bishop and died two months later, possibly poisoned. Ricimer didn't take the throne—he was barbarian, ineligible. He spent the next sixteen years making and unmaking emperors, four in total. He was the real power. The Western Empire collapsed fourteen years after his death. He'd been holding it together.
October 16, 456
1570 years ago
Key Figures & Places
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