Avitus

Infobox Roman emperor
name =Avitus
full name=Eparchius Avitus
title=Emperor of the
Western Roman Empire


caption =Avitus on a tremissis.
reign =July 9 455 - 17 October 456
predecessor =Petronius Maximus
successor =Majorian
date of birth=c. 385
date of death=after October 17 456 or in 457|:"This article is about the Roman Emperor. For the poet, see Avitus of Vienne. Avitus is also a genus of jumping spiders."

Eparchius Avitus [In older literature "Marcus Maecilius Avitus" written, but is only "Eparchius" survived. ICVR-08, 20823: "Locus Geronti presb(yteri) / depositus XIIII Kal(endas) Iul(ias) / cons(ulatu) Eparchi Aviti".] (c. 385 [Avitus over the first c. 420 to a political task. Sidonius Apollinaris described him as a "iuuenis", something in the thirties standing.] -after October 17, 456 or in 457) was Western Roman Emperor with the designation and name Dominus Noster Eparchius Avitus Augustus (July 8 or July 9, 455 - October 17, 456).

Made "magister militum" (or Master of Soldiers) by Emperor Petronius Maximus, Avitus was sent on a diplomatic mission to his old student, Theodoric II King of the Visigoths, and was at Theodoric's court in Toulouse when Gaiseric invaded Rome, bringing Petronius Maximus's rule to a sudden end. Theodoric seized the opportunity and urged Avitus to assume the imperial throne, and with the acclamation of a gathering of Gallo-Roman senators, allowed himself to be persuaded. On July 9, 455, he was proclaimed emperor by the soldiers, and reached Rome that September.

The Apenninian populace never fully accepted his rule, so when his campaign against the Vandals failed in 456, and they pressed their blockade against Rome, his position became tenuous. Famine in Rome forced him to disband his Gothic bodyguard. But they needed to be paid, and he did not improve his standing with the Roman citizenry when he melted down a number of bronze statues to pay their outstanding wages. Ricimer and Majorian exploited this discontent by starting a general revolt.

Avitus fled to safety in Arles. A plea for help to Theodoric went unanswered, as the Gothic king was away in Spain campaigning against the Suevians. Avitus raised the best force he could and returned to Italy. He was defeated near Placentia and captured. His life was spared, and was allowed to become bishop of Placentia on October 17 (or October 18), 456; however, he still feared for his life and attempted to escape to safety in Gaul. According to Gregory of Tours, he died on the way there. Other sources have him murdered, either being strangled personally by Ricimer or trapped in his house and starved to death.

One important source for Avitus' reign was the panegyric composed by his son-in-law, Sidonius Apollinaris, married ca 452 to his daughter Papianilla, born ca 432 or 435.

His son was the "magister militum" Ecdicius Avitus and his grandson was the poet Alcimus Ecdicius Avitus. He was also the father of Agricola (440 – after 507), "v. inl.", a Priest, whose daughter also named Papianilla (490 – 530) married her relative (?) Parthenius (485 – 548), a Patron in 542 and perhaps a great-grandson of Felix Ennodius.

His niece, also named Papianilla, "clarissima femina", born ca 415, married the Praetorian Prefect of Gaul Tonantius Ferreolus.

Family tree

*Avitus of Vienne was a close relative to emperor Avitus.
*Ecdicius was the son of Avitus

References

*Christian Settipani, Les Ancêtres de Charlemagne (France: Éditions Christian, 1989).
*Christian Settipani, Continuite Gentilice et Continuite Familiale Dans Les Familles Senatoriales Romaines A L'epoque Imperiale, Mythe et Realite, Addenda I - III (juillet 2000- octobre 2002) (n.p.: Prosopographica et Genealogica, 2002).

ee also

*Descent from antiquity

External links

* [http://www.gutenberg.org/dirs/etext97/dfre310h.htm Gibbon chapter XXXVI]
* [http://home.casema.nl/marcelkuyper/sidonius_bestanden/sid_carmen_vii.html Latin text of Sidonius's "carmen"]

Notes