Editing Avitus (section)

==Origins and early career==
[[File:Tremissis Avitus-RIC 2402.jpg|thumb|250px|[[Tremissis]] of Emperor Avitus]]
Avitus was born in [[Clermont-Ferrand|Clermont]] to a family of the [[Gallo-Roman culture|Gallo-Roman]] [[Nobiles|nobility]]. His father was possibly [[Agricola (consul 421)|Agricola]], [[Roman consul|consul]] in 421. Avitus had two sons, [[Agricola (vir inlustris)|Agricola]] (fl 455 – living 507, a ''[[vir illustris]]'') and [[Ecdicius|Ecdicius Avitus]] (later ''[[patrikios|patricius]]'' and ''[[magister militum]]'' under Emperor [[Julius Nepos]]) and a daughter [[Papianilla (wife of Sidonius Apollinaris)|Papianilla]]; she married [[Sidonius Apollinaris]], whose letters and panegyrics remain an important source for Avitus' life and times.

Avitus followed a course of study typical for a young man of his rank, including law. Before 421 he was sent to the powerful ''patricius'' [[Constantius III|Flavius Constantius]] (briefly Emperor in 421) to ask for a tax reduction for his own country; this embassy was successful. His relative Theodorus was held hostage at the court of the King of the [[Visigoths]], [[Theodoric I]]. In 425–426, Avitus went and met him and the King, who let Avitus enter his own court. Here, around 439, Avitus met the son of Theodoric, [[Theodoric II]], who later became King. Avitus inspired the young Theodoric to study Latin poets.

He then started a military career serving under the ''magister militum'' [[Flavius Aetius|Aetius]] in his [[Aetius campaign in the Alps|campaign in the Alps]] against the [[Juthungi]] and the [[Noricum|Norics]] (430–431) and against the [[Burgundians]] (436). In 437, after being elevated to the rank of ''[[vir illustris]]'', he returned to [[Clermont-Ferrand|Avernia]], where he held a high office, probably ''magister militum per Gallias''. In the same year, he defeated a group of [[Huns#Unified Empire under Attila|Hunnic]] raiders near Clermont and obliged Theodoric to lift the siege of [[Narbonne]]. In 439, he became [[Praetorian prefecture of Gaul|Praetorian prefect of Gaul]] and renewed the friendship treaty with the Visigoths.

Before the summer of 440, he retired to private life at his estate, Avitacum, near Clermont. Here he lived until 451, when the [[Huns]], led by [[Attila]], invaded the Western Roman Empire; Avitus persuaded Theodoric into an alliance with Rome, and the combined forces of Theodoric and Aetius defeated Attila in the [[Battle of Châlons]]; Theodoric died in the battle.