2020-10-16 Fri

Ricimer was a Romanized Germanic general who acted as kingmaker in the Western Roman Empire from 456 to 472.

Early in his military career, he befriended the future emperor Majorian. After turning back an attempted Vandal invasion of Sicily at Agrigentum (modern Agrigento) in 456, Ricimer was appointed master of the soldiers. On October 17 of the same year, he deposed the Western emperor Avitus after defeating him at Placentia (now Piacenza), Italy.

Ricimer's military office and his dominance over the empire led historians to conclude that he was a link between previous magistri militum, such as the Vandal Stilicho, and the Germanic King of Italy, Odoacer. Odoacer deposed the Western Emperor Romulus Augustulus in 476, in an act often considered to mark the fall of the Western Roman Empire.

His gold Solidus issued in the name of Leo I from Rome mint. It depicts rosette-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right on its obverse face. The reverse of a coin represents Leo standing facing, holding long cross in the right hand, Victory on globe in left, his right foot on the head of a human-headed serpent. Image Source: Wikipedia.org