Editing Majorian (section)

===Relationship with the senatorial aristocracy===
[[File:Tremissis Avitus-RIC 2402.jpg|thumb|300px|Avitus, the predecessor of Majorian on the imperial throne, had alienated the support of the Roman senatorial aristocracy by appointing members of the Gallo-Roman aristocracy, of which he was a part, to the most important offices of the imperial administration. He was overthrown by Majorian, who did not repeat the error and rotated the main offices between representatives of the two aristocracies.]]

When Majorian took power by deposing [[Avitus]], the province of Gaul, where Avitus' power was based, did not recognize the new Emperor. When Majorian re-conquered the province, he chose to forgive this rebellion. The reason was that Majorian understood that one of the mistakes of his predecessor was to promote and trust only the senatorial aristocracy of Gaul, the region he came from, favouring it over the senatorial aristocracy of Italy.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name="ennodius" />

Majorian, instead, decided to gain the favour of the wealthy and noble families of the recovered province by involving them in the imperial administration, together with the Italian aristocracy that had supported him since the beginning. For evidence of this policy, one can point to the origins of the high civil servants of his administration, in particular of the [[Roman consul|consuls]], whom the Emperor appointed jointly with his Eastern colleague.<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name="ennodius" />

In the first year (458) Majorian reserved the honour for himself, as was usual for the ''[[augustus|augusti]]'', while in the second year he appointed his former colleague and powerful ''[[magister militum]]'', [[Ricimer]]. Then, for the year 460, he choose the Gallic senator [[Magnus (consul 460)|Magnus]], and for the next year the Italian senator [[Severinus (consul 461)|Severinus]]. Magnus had been appointed [[Praetorian prefect of Gaul]] in 458, while the [[Praetorian prefect of Italy]] was [[Caecina Decius Basilius]], who was the patron of the Gallic senator (and poet) [[Sidonius Apollinaris]], while the ''comes privatae largitionis'', Ennodius, was related to a family with interests in [[Arelate]].<ref name="mathisen" /><ref name="ennodius" />

Majorian also showed great respect towards the Roman senate, as suggested by the message he addressed to it on the eve of his coronation: he promised the senators he would not take into account the accusations of informers, which were much feared as they might be used by the Emperor to cause the fall of influential figures.<ref name=novella1>''Novella Maioriani'' 1, ''De ortu imperii domini Majoriani Augusti'', "The Beginning of the Reign of Our Lord Majorian Augustus".</ref> He followed through on his promises, as told by Sidonius Apollinaris, who had been anonymously accused of the authorship of a pamphlet against some influential figures: during a dinner together, Majorian defused the risky situation with a witticism.<ref>This event took place in 461, and is recorded in a letter (''Letters'', I.11.2–15) of Apollinaris to a friend (Mathisen).</ref>