Editing Ricimer (section)

==Rise to power==
According to [[Sidonius Apollinaris]], Ricimer served under the ''magister militum'' [[Flavius Aetius]] alongside the ''[[comes domesticorum]]'' [[Majorian]], whom he befriended.{{sfn|Sidonius|1936|p=83}}{{efn|See: Sidonius Apollinaris, ''Carmina'', v, 266–268.}} Historian Penny MacGeorge writes, "Majorian certainly, and Ricimer probably, had served under Aetius, and there may have been other elements to this connection, political, personal, and social, that would have brought them both close to the centers of political power."{{sfn|MacGeorge|2002|p=189}}

Nonetheless, a power vacuum was created in the Western Empire after the events of 454 and 455, which saw the consecutive murders of Aetius and of the Western Emperor [[Valentinian III]], who had been responsible for the ''magister militum''{{'s}} assassination.{{sfn|Mitchell|2007|p=112}} After the assassinations, the Roman Senator [[Petronius Maximus]] proclaimed himself emperor.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2009|pp=333–334}} Petronius's reign lasted less than three months, as shortly before the Vandal sacking of Rome in 455, he too was murdered.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2009|p=354}}{{efn|The Vandals had continuously raided the Italian coast since the assassination of [[Valentinian III]] in 455, wreaking havoc upon the Italian economy. The capital remained in disarray following [[Geiseric|Geiseric's]] sack of Rome and  the Vandals' systematic destruction and wanton pillaging of goods.{{sfn|Lee|2013|p=121}} }} 

After Rome's sack, the Visigothic King [[Theodoric II]] proclaimed [[Avitus]] as Emperor, the Roman military commander in [[Gaul]].{{sfn|Kulikowski|2019|p=216}} In return for Theodoric II's support, Avitus agreed to allow the Visigoths to enter Suevi-controlled [[Hispania]].{{sfn|Mitchell|2007|p=205}} After being proclaimed the new emperor in 456, Avitus mounted a campaign into Italy but was defeated in the Po Valley.{{sfn|Goldsworthy|2009|p=355}} In the interim, Avitus had named the Visigoth [[Remistus]] as ''magister militum''.{{sfn|Kulikowski|2019|pp=216–217}} 

Following the arrival of Avitus in Rome, Majorian gave his support, albeit reluctantly, to the new emperor. Avitus is subsequently thought to have appointed Ricimer as ''[[comes]]'', a prominent military position, but this remains unclear and it is possible that Ricimer was ''comes'' before the elevation of Avitus.{{sfn|MacGeorge|2002|pp=183–184}} At this point, however, the Western Empire encompassed only the Italian Peninsula and portions of southern [[Gaul]], a mere fraction of the territory held by imperial Rome in previous centuries. Ricimer, nonetheless, raised an army and navy from the [[Germanic tribes|Germanic]] mercenaries available to him and commenced campaigns directed against "barbarian" tribes in conflict with the empire. Ricimer achieved his first important victory in 456, when he defeated the Vandals in the [[Battle of Agrigentum (456)|Battle of Agrigentum]] and the [[Battle of Corsica]]. Although [[Priscus]] writes that Avitus had sent him to Sicily to engage the Vandals, [[Hydatius]] states Ricimer defeated the Vandals near Corsica.{{sfn|Bury|1923|p=236}}{{sfn|Gordon|1966|p=115}}{{efn|For the primary source references from antiquity, see the following: Hydatius, 176, ''s.a.'' 456; Priscus, fragment 24; Sidonius Apollinaris, ''Carmina'', ii, 367.}}

===The revolt against Avitus===
{{Main|Roman civil war of 456}}

Vandal raids and civil disaffection—due in part to famine—proved problematic for Avitus. Not only was he never recognized as Emperor of the West by the eastern Emperor [[Marcian]], Avitus found himself in an especially precarious position since disruptive events had hardly settled when Ricimer and Majorian rebelled against their former patron.{{sfn|Halsall|2007|p=261}} The two led an army against Avitus's imperial forces commanded by the ''magister militum'' Remistus, whom they defeated; Remistus was executed at Ravenna in September 456 under "obscure circumstances".{{sfn|Kulikowski|2019|p=217}} Avitus fled to Gaul to gather support from his Visigothic and Gallic followers but was defeated in the [[Battle of Placentia (456)|Battle of Placentia]] on 17 October 456.{{sfn|Elton|2018|p=212}} Avitus was captured, deposed, and forced to assume the [[bishop of Piacenza|bishopric of Piacenza]], and finally executed—allegedly starved to death by Majorian and Ricimer.{{sfn|Kulikowski|2019|p=217}}