Procopius Anthemius, the last Western Roman Emperor to mount a significant military campaign, ascended to the imperial throne in 467 AD during a tumultuous period for the declining Western Roman Empire. His reign, though brief, was marked by ambitious attempts to restore Roman power and unity in the face of mounting challenges from barbarian kingdoms and internal political strife.
Rise to Power
Anthemius’ path to the imperial throne was paved by his distinguished lineage and military accomplishments. Born around 420 AD, he was the grandson of Anthemius, a prominent figure who had served as praetorian prefect of the East and was renowned for constructing the Theodosian Walls of Constantinople. This prestigious family background, combined with his own military prowess, made Anthemius a natural choice for leadership in a time of crisis.
By 467 AD, the Western Roman Empire was in dire straits. The previous emperor, Libius Severus, had died in November 465, leaving the Western throne vacant. The Eastern Emperor Leo I, recognizing the need for a strong leader in the West to counter the growing threat of the Vandals, nominated Anthemius as the new Western Emperor.
Anthemius’ appointment was strategic on multiple fronts. Not only did he possess the military experience necessary to confront the empire’s external threats, but he also represented a potential bridge between the Eastern and Western halves of the empire. His Greek heritage and connections to the Eastern court were seen as assets that could help reunify the increasingly divided Roman world.
Consolidation of Power
Upon his arrival in Rome in 467 AD, Anthemius was greeted with a mixture of hope and suspicion. The Roman populace and the Senate initially welcomed him, seeing in him the potential for renewed stability and strength. However, his Greek background and philosophical inclinations led some to view him with distrust, fearing he might harbor sympathies for paganism.
Aware of the delicate political balance in the West, Anthemius moved quickly to secure his position. He allied himself with the powerful patrician Ricimer, the de facto kingmaker of the Western Empire, by arranging a marriage between Ricimer and his daughter Alypia. This political marriage was intended to create a stable partnership between the emperor and the influential military commander.
The Vandal Threat and the Great Expedition
The most pressing challenge facing Anthemius at the outset of his reign was the Vandal kingdom in North Africa. The loss of these wealthy provinces had severely weakened the Western Empire, depriving it of crucial resources and exposing it to constant raids along the Mediterranean coast.
In 468 AD, Anthemius, in cooperation with Eastern Emperor Leo I, launched what would become the largest and most ambitious military operation of his reign – a massive expedition against the Vandal Kingdom. This campaign represented a substantial commitment from both halves of the empire, with the Eastern treasury bearing the brunt of the expenses, though Anthemius and the West also contributed significantly.
The scale of the operation was truly impressive. A fleet of over 1,000 ships was assembled to transport a combined force of Eastern, Western, and Illyrian troops, estimated to number over 100,000 men. The command of this vast armada was entrusted to Basiliscus, Leo’s brother-in-law, while the Western forces were likely led by the capable general Marcellinus.
Initially, the campaign showed promise. Marcellinus successfully captured Sardinia and landed troops in Tripolitania, putting pressure on the Vandal king Gaiseric. However, the tide of the war turned dramatically when the fleet encountered the Vandals near Carthage.
In a catastrophic turn of events, Basiliscus allowed Gaiseric to negotiate a five-day truce, ostensibly to discuss peace terms. The Vandal king, a cunning strategist, used this time to prepare a surprise attack on the Roman fleet. When the assault came, it was devastating. A large portion of the Roman ships were destroyed or captured, with Basiliscus barely escaping to Sicily.
The defeat at the Battle of Cape Bon was a crushing blow to Roman ambitions in Africa. Not only did it result in the loss of a significant portion of the empire’s military strength, but it also depleted the imperial treasury, leaving both halves of the empire in a precarious financial situation.
Aftermath and Shifting Focus
The failure of the African expedition had far-reaching consequences for Anthemius’ reign. With the imperial coffers nearly emptied and the Vandal threat undiminished, he was forced to abandon hopes of reclaiming Africa. This setback not only weakened his position militarily but also undermined his credibility as a leader capable of restoring Roman fortunes.
In the wake of this disaster, Anthemius turned his attention to the other major threat facing the Western Empire – the expanding power of the Visigoths in Gaul. Under their ambitious king Euric, the Visigoths had been steadily encroaching on Roman territory, exploiting the empire’s weakened control over its outlying provinces.
The Visigothic Campaign
Determined to reassert Roman authority in Gaul, Anthemius embarked on a new military venture in 470 AD. In an innovative move, he recruited Britons, either from Britain itself or from Armorica, to bolster his forces. Led by King Riothamus, this British contingent initially met with success, occupying the city of Bourges with a force of 12,000 men.
However, the campaign soon ran into difficulties. When Riothamus attempted to push deeper into Visigothic territory, aiming to capture Déols, his forces were overwhelmed by a superior Visigothic army. The British king was forced to retreat, seeking refuge with the Burgundians, who were at that time Roman allies.
Undeterred by this setback, Anthemius decided to lead the campaign personally. He assembled a new army, placing it under the nominal command of his son Anthemiolus, but with experienced generals Torisarius, Everdingus, and Hermianus providing the actual military leadership.
The Roman force advanced from Arelate (modern Arles) and crossed the Rhone River, intent on engaging the Visigoths. However, Euric, proving himself a formidable opponent, intercepted the Roman army before it could gain any significant advantage. In the ensuing battle, the Roman forces were decisively defeated. Anthemiolus and the three generals were killed, dealing a severe blow to both Anthemius’ military capabilities and his personal prestige.
Internal Strife and Downfall
As Anthemius grappled with external threats, his relationship with Ricimer, once seen as a cornerstone of stability, began to deteriorate. The tensions between the emperor and the powerful patrician had been simmering for some time, exacerbated by their differing backgrounds and ambitions.
Ricimer, who had long been accustomed to controlling emperors from behind the scenes, found in Anthemius a ruler unwilling to be a mere puppet. The patrician derisively referred to Anthemius as an “excitable Galatian,” while the emperor reportedly regretted marrying his daughter to the “fur-clad barbarian”.
By early 472 AD, the rift between Anthemius and Ricimer had become unbridgeable. Ricimer retreated to Milan, effectively establishing his own power base in northern Italy, while Anthemius remained in Rome, still commanding the loyalty of southern Italy and what remained of Roman Gaul.
The final act of Anthemius’ reign unfolded as a tragic civil war. In April 472 AD, Ricimer, in a bold move to unseat Anthemius, crowned a rival emperor – the senator Olybrius, who could claim a connection to the Theodosian dynasty. With this challenger in place, Ricimer laid siege to Rome, blocking the Tiber River and all land approaches to starve the city into submission.
Anthemius, backed by the Roman aristocracy and the city’s populace, put up a fierce resistance. For five months, Rome became a battleground between the emperor’s supporters and Ricimer’s barbarian troops, which included forces led by Odoacer, the future first King of Italy.
In a desperate bid to break the siege, Anthemius appealed to the Roman army in Gaul for support. However, the Magister militum per Gallias, Gundobad, who was Ricimer’s nephew, sided with his uncle. Anthemius then turned to Bilimer, whom he elevated to the rank of Rector Galliarum, sending him with a loyal army to relieve Rome.
Bilimer managed to enter the city but was killed in a fierce battle near the Mausoleum of Hadrian, trying to prevent Ricimer’s forces from crossing the Tiber. With this last hope extinguished and facing severe food shortages, Anthemius made a final, desperate stand. His forces were overwhelmed, and the emperor was forced to flee.
On July 11, 472 AD, Anthemius was captured, disguised as a beggar, near the Church of Santa Maria in Trastevere. He was summarily executed, either by Gundobad or by Ricimer himself, bringing an end to the reign of the last Western Roman Emperor to mount a significant military campaign.
Legacy and Historical Significance
Anthemius, though ultimately unsuccessful, was in many ways the last Western emperor to possess both the vision and the capability to attempt a restoration of Roman power on a grand scale. His efforts to reunify the Eastern and Western halves of the empire, his ambitious campaign against the Vandals, and his attempts to reassert control over Gaul all speak to a ruler who understood the challenges facing the Roman world and was willing to take bold action to address them.
However, Anthemius was ultimately undone by a combination of factors beyond his control. The catastrophic failure of the African expedition, orchestrated largely by Eastern commanders, depleted resources that might have been used more effectively elsewhere. The growing power of the barbarian kingdoms, particularly the Visigoths, proved too formidable to overcome with the limited means at his disposal. Finally, the internal political dynamics of the Western Empire, epitomized by his conflict with Ricimer, created insurmountable obstacles to effective governance.
The fall of Anthemius marked the beginning of the final chapter for the Western Roman Empire. In the four years following his death, four more emperors would briefly occupy the throne before Odoacer’s deposition of Romulus Augustulus in 476 AD brought the Western Empire to its final end.
