Editing Olybrius (section)

===Rise to the throne===
Sources agree that Olybrius rose to the western throne thanks to the western ''magister militum'' Ricimer. They differ over the timing and order of the events leading to his ascent.

In the version provided by [[John Malalas]], and championed by [[J. B. Bury]], Olybrius was sent to Italy in 472 by [[Leo I (emperor)|Leo I]], ostensibly to mediate between Ricimer and Anthemius, who was besieged by Ricimer in Rome. Once he had accomplished this, Olybrius would then continue to Carthage and offer a peace treaty to Gaiseric. Leo suspected that Olybrius favored the Vandal king, however, and would secretly take his side and betray the suspicious Emperor. Leo had Olybrius followed by another envoy bearing a letter for Anthemius stating:
: I have removed [[Aspar]] and [[Ardabur (consul 447)|Ardaburius]] from this world, so that no one who might oppose me would survive. But you also must kill your son-in-law Ricimer, lest there be anyone who might betray you. Moreover, I also have sent the patrician Olybrius to you; I wish you to kill him, so that you might reign, ruling rather than serving others.

Ricimer had placed a guard at [[Ostia Antica|Ostia]] who found the secret letter. Ricimer showed the document to Olybrius, which convinced Olybrius to accept the purple. From Ricimer's point of view, Olybrius was a good candidate, as a member of the Roman senatorial aristocracy and because of his marriage to Placidia; his marriage to her makes him the last emperor of the conjoined [[Valentinianic dynasty|Valentinianic]]–[[Theodosian dynasty|Theodosian]] dynasties to rule in the west. Ricimer had Anthemius killed and Olybrius acclaimed Emperor (11 July 472).<ref>[[John Malalas]], ''Chronicon'', 373–375.</ref>

The competing version of events does not mention the secret letter. Instead, after arriving in Rome, Olybrius was proclaimed emperor several months before Anthemius' death, in April or May 472. Ricimer then besieged the part of Rome where Anthemius was for several months until the lawful Emperor was abandoned by his partisans, captured in a church, and put to death by [[Gundobad]], Ricimer's nephew.<ref>[[John of Antioch (chronicler)|John of Antioch]], fragment 209.1–2, translated by C.D. Gordon, ''The Age of Attila'', pp. 122f; ''[[Fasti vindobonenses priores]]'', n. 606, ''sub anno'' 472; [[Cassiodorus]], ''sub anno'' 472.</ref> This version implies that Olybrius was secretly supported by the Emperor Leo, which explains why Leo sent him there. Three sources – [[Theophanes the Confessor|Theophanes]], the ''[[Paschal Chronicle]]'', and Paullus Diaconus – support this version. [[Edward Gibbon]] accepts this implication as fact, although none of the three sources explicitly state that Leo supported Olybrius. What other reason could there be, Bury asks, then answers his own rhetorical question: "the facts that Anthemius was Leo's chosen candidate, his ''filius'', and that Olybrius was the friend of his foe Genseric, are a strong counter-argument."<ref>Bury, "A note on the Emperor Olybrius", English Historical Review '''1''' (1886), pp. 507‑509</ref>