The plunder of Rome by Ricimer is an event that occurred in 472 and was of less importance to contemporaries compared to the capture of Rome by Alaric and Geiserich . It was not the result of an external invasion but a civil war, between the barbarian commander in chief and the emperor.
Background
Ricimer, descended by descent, who ruled the Western Roman Empire for a long time without appointing an emperor, with the rank of magister militum (commander in chief), was forced to agree with the Eastern empire and accept Procopius Antemia as emperor, because of the threat of the vandal invasion. In the spring of 467, Leo I, with the consent of Ritzimer, sent Antemia to Italy with a strong army under the leadership of the magister militum of Illyria Marcellinus. On April 12, Anthemius was proclaimed emperor of the West near Rome.
Failures in Antemia's foreign policy were accompanied by problems in internal affairs. Anthemius was a Greek by birth, and in addition he was appointed emperor by the eastern court and pursued an independent policy, which did not suit Rietzimer. Moreover, he was suspected of sympathy for paganism.
Despite the marriage of Ritzimer with his daughter Antemia, the relationship between them was bad and finally deteriorated in 470, when Antemius was sentenced to death on charges of betrayal of Senator Roman, whom Ricimer supported. In response, Ricimer, who had gathered an army for the war against the Vandals , left Rome and went north with his men. After the crushing defeat of the empire in Sicily, Ricimer for months gathered troops in Milan from German mercenaries to launch a campaign against Antemia in Rome. Several clashes occurred between the supporters of the two parties; as a result, Antemius and Ricimer signed a truce for a period of one year with the mediation of Epiphanius, Bishop of Pavia.
At the beginning of 472, relations between them worsened again. Leo I Mackella sent Olibria to try to restore peace between Antemius and Ricimer, and then went as an ambassador to Geiserich. In fact, Leo was about to eliminate Olibria and sent a message to Antemia with a proposal to kill Olibria and Ricimer. However, the message was intercepted by the people of Ricimer and presented to Olibria. An open war began.
Siege
Ricimer proclaimed Olibria emperor and besieged Antemia in Rome, having set up a camp at Aniensky bridge in front of the Salar Gate . Antemia was supported by the Senate and the inhabitants of Rome. Both sides turned to the army located in Gaul, its commander, the magister militum of Gaul Gundobad , supported his uncle Ricimer. Antemius called for help from the Ostrogoths of Wilimer, promising in return to give Wilimer the title of Gaul magister militum. The emperor led the defense courageously, but his fighting forces were small and there were many adherents of Ricimer and Arians in the city. In Rome, where, in addition, a plague appeared and hunger raged, they were already thinking about surrender when the goth Wilimer, who was hurrying to his defense, came up to him. However, the transtoverian part of the city was already in the hands of Ritzimer, and the latter, relying on the Vatican and the Adrian monument, tried to enter the city through the bridge and the Aurelian Gate. There was a bloody battle, Wilimer fell in it, and Ricimer took possession of the gate. Having penetrated into the city, mercenaries, representing a motley mixture of Germanic tribes of the Arian religion, killed and robbed everything in its path.
Having lost his last hope for outside help, Antemius tried to break out of the city, but having lost many people, dressed as a beggar, took refuge in the Basilica of St. Peter , where he was found and beheaded personally by the Ricimer. Rome was taken after a three-month siege on July 11, 472.
There is no definite indication of the fate of the monuments; historians do not report any destruction caused by fire, and do not name a single structure that would be destroyed.
Only those two districts of the city that were previously occupied by Ritzimer were spared, namely the Vatican, already then crowded with monasteries, churches and hospitals, and Yanikul . It follows from this that the basilica of St. Peter was not plundered; but the city was all surrendered to the mining by German mercenaries. Olibrius was enthroned, but after a few weeks (August 10), Ricimer, and after him (October 23), Olibri died of the plague.
Literature
- Roberto, Umberto. Il terzo sacco di Roma e il destino dell'Occidente (luglio 472). - In: La trasformazione del mondo romano e le grandi migrazioni // Atti del Convegno internazionale di studi (Cimitile-Santa Maria Capua Vetere 16-17 giugno 2011) / a cura di C. Ebanista e M. Rotili. - Napoli: Tavolario Edizioni, 2012 .-- P. 9-18.