Anthemius

At any rate, he is reported to have been made away with.

Then, at a moment of extreme danger, in the hope of assistance from Leo the Eastern Emperor, against the attacks of Gaiseric, Ricimer accepted an emperor chosen at Constantinople, the Greek Anthemius, whose daughter he married.

But Anthemius was not content to be simply the tool and the screen of the patrician.

Coolness and jealousies followed, Ricimer determined on a quarrel, and all attempts to reconcile them failed.

Ricimer set up his fourth emperor, Olybrius, and at the head of a barbarian army attacked and slew Anthemius.

For the third time, Rome was stormed and delivered over to a foreign soldiery in 472, in this case nominally in her own service.

Ricimer and Olybrius both died a few months afterwards, and the empire in the West was left without its nominal or real head.

His name was Flavius Marcianus, and like Zeno and Basilicus before him, he too was married to a daughter of Leo I and Verina.

Marcianus had the added benefit of being the son of the former Western Roman Emperor Anthemius and the grandson of former Eastern Roman Emperor Marcian.

Marcianus networked in Constantinople, promising honors and gold to powerful families in exchange for their support.

Marcianus mocked Zeno's barbarian origins, pointed out that Zeno had failed to prevent Theodoric the Great from raiding Roman lands, and condemned Zeno's exile of the Dowager Empress Verina.

At any rate, he is reported to have been made away with.

Then, at a moment of extreme danger, in the hope of assistance from Leo the Eastern Emperor, against the attacks of Gaiseric, Ricimer accepted an emperor chosen at Constantinople, the Greek Anthemius, whose daughter he married.

But Anthemius was not content to be simply the tool and the screen of the patrician.

Coolness and jealousies followed, Ricimer determined on a quarrel, and all attempts to reconcile them failed.

Ricimer set up his fourth emperor, Olibrius, and at the head of a barbarian army attacked and slew Anthemius.

For the third time Rome was stormed and delivered over to a foreign soldiery in 472, in this case nominally in her own service.

Ricimer and Olibrius both died a few months afterwards, and the empire in the West was left without its nominal or real head.

At any rate, he is reported to have been made away with.

Then, at a moment of extreme danger, in the hope of assistance from Leo the Eastern emperor, against the attacks of Gaiseric, Ricimer accepted an emperor chosen at Constantinople, the Greek Anthemius, whose daughter he married.

But Anthemius was not content to be simply the tool and the screen of the patrician.

Coolness and jealousies followed, Ricimer determined on a quarrel, and all attempts to reconcile them failed.

Ricimer set up his fourth emperor, Olibrius, and at the head of a barbarian army attacked and slew Anthemius.

For the third time Rome was stormed and delivered over to a foreign soldiery in 472, in this case nominally in her own service.

Ricimer and Olibrius both died a few months afterwards, and the empire in the West was left without its nominal or real head.

At any rate, he is reported to have been made away with.

Then, at a moment of extreme danger, in the hope of assistance from Leo the Eastern Emperor, against the attacks of Gaiseric, Ricimer accepted an emperor chosen at Constantinople, the Greek Anthemius, whose daughter he married.

But Anthemius was not content to be simply the tool and the screen of the patrician.

Coolness and jealousies followed, Ricimer determined on a quarrel, and all attempts to reconcile them failed.

Ricimer set up his fourth emperor, Olibrius, and at the head of a barbarian army attacked and slew Anthemius.

For the third time Rome was stormed and delivered over to a foreign soldiery in 472, in this case nominally in her own service.

Ricimer and Olibrius both died a few months afterwards, and the empire in the west was left without its nominal or real head.