After the Theodosian Dynasty Roman Emperors during the Fall of the Western Empire

1 after theodosian dynasty

1.1 in west
1.2 east: leonine dynasty

1.2.1 leonine emperors


1.3 dynastic relationships

after theodosian dynasty
in west

the wealthy senator petronius maximus, succeeded valentinian iii, had attempted secure position marrying valentinian s widow, licinia eudoxia. final collapse of empire in west marked increasingly ineffectual puppet emperors dominated germanic masters of soldiers. pointed example of suebian general ricimer, became shadow emperor deposing avitus, installing , subsequently deposing (and murdering) majorian, installing (and possibly subsequently murdering) libius severus, ruling empire himself during eighteen-month interregnum, deposing , killing anthemius, , installing olybrius. position shadow emperor in turn held nephew gundobad , orestes; odoacer overthrew orestes s puppet emperor, romulus augustus, in 476 , ruled italy nominal subordinate of emperor-in-exile, julius nepos, continued reign in dalmatia until 480.

petronius maximus ( imp. caesar petronius maximus p.f. aug. ; b. petronius maximus), 455
avitus ( imp. caesar flavius eparchius avitus p.f. aug. ; b. flavius eparchius avitus), 455–456
majorian ( imp. caesar flavius iulius valerianus maiorianus ; b. flavius iulius valerianus maiorianus), 457–461
libius severus ( imp. caesar libius severus p.f. aug. ; b. libius severus), 461–465
anthemius ( imp. caesar procopius anthemius p.f. aug. ; b. procopius anthemius), 467–472
olybrius ( imp. caesar anicius olybrius p.f. aug. ; b. anicius olybrius), 472
glycerius ( imp. caesar flavius glycerius p.f. aug. ; b. flavius glycerius), 473–474
julius nepos ( imp. caesar iulius nepos p.f. aug. ; b. iulius nepos), 474–475 (continued rule in exile until 480)
romulus augustulus ( imp. caesar flavius romulus p.f. aug. ; b. flavius romulus), 475–476

petronius maximus killed trying flee rome – presently under imminent threat of attack geiseric s vandals – eleven weeks after donning purple; rome plundered ( vandalised ) spared full-fledged sacking due in large part intervention of bishop of rome, pope leo i, had averted attack on rome attila hun in 452. petronius maximus succeeded master of soldiers, avitus, acclaimed @ tolosa backing of visigothic king, theodoric ii.

avitus in turn overthrown (but not killed) own master of soldiers, ricimer, responsible both installation , removal of majorian , of libius severus, removal of anthemius (installed eastern emperor s candidate), , installation of olybrius – husband of valentinian iii s daughter (and petronius maximus s stepdaughter) placidia, , loosely member of theodosian dynasty.

both ricimer , olybrius (who never acknowledged , considered usurper eastern emperor) died in 472, , replaced burgundian prince gundobad , puppet emperor glycerius, former court functionary. glycerius deposed (but not killed) julius nepos, candidate (and nephew-in-law) of eastern emperor, in turn driven exile in dalmatia in 475 master of soldiers, orestes, installed own son romulus augustulus ( little augustus ). orestes killed , romulus deposed (but not killed) odoacer in 476, , julius nepos continued reign emperor-in-exile until death in 480 (the eastern emperor did not recognise romulus augustulus , considered him usurper).

for rulers of italy after romulus augustulus , julius nepos, see list of barbarian kings.


for roman emperors in west after romulus augustulus , julius nepos, see list of holy roman emperors .

the east: leonine dynasty

the leonine dynasty totally marital one, conspicuous rather disorderly succession of emperors. first leonine emperor, dacian army officer leo (whose coronation first known involve patriarch of constantinople), came power through machinations of late marcian s alan master of soldiers, aspar, result of barbarian birth , religious heterodoxy (aspar arian) unable don purple himself. leonine emperors mark second time female dynast directly influenced imperial succession marriage: zeno s widow ariadne hand-picked anastasius succeed late husband , married him (cf. marcian s accession purple means of officially marrying nun st. pulcheria, theodosius ii s sister).

zeno ruling in constantinople during fall of rome in 476 (the actual events thought of ending roman empire in west occurred @ ravenna), , both odoacer , over-thrower theodoric of ostrogoths officially ruled italy zeno s viceroys; suzerainty purely theoretical, however, , imperial control of italy not reasserted until conquests of justinian s strategos belisarius in 530s.

leonine emperors

leo ( imp. caesar flavius valerius leo p.f. aug. ; b. flavius valerius leo), 457–474
leo ii ( imp. caesar flavius leo p.f. aug. ; b. flavius leo), 474

zeno ( imp. caesar flavius zeno p.f. aug. ; b. tarasikodissa), 474


zeno ( imp. caesar flavius zeno p.f. aug. ; b. tarasikodissa), 474–491

basiliscus ( imp. caesar flavius basiliscus p.f. aug. ; b. flavius basiliscus), 474–475


anastasius ( imp. caesar flavius anastasius p.f. aug. ; b. flavius anastasius), 491–518

dynastic relationships

leo wife verina bore him @ least 2 daughters, 1 of whom married son of anthemius, whom leo installed emperor in west in 467 (and daughter married formidable shadow emperor ricimer), , other of whom ariadne, married isaurian leader tarasikodissa; tarasikodissa appointed master of soldiers , adopted name zeno. ariadne , zeno had son, leo ii, succeeded grandfather emperor in 474 (and convinced mother , grandmother elevate father co-emperor); leo ii s death left father sole emperor in east, producing altogether curious spectacle of grandson succeeding grandfather without father s predecease, , in turn being succeeded own father. zeno temporarily displaced in constantinople verina s brother (i.e., leo s brother-in-law , leo ii s great uncle-in-law) basiliscus, regained purple year later. on death, ariadne married court functionary anastasius i, , thereby elevated him purple virtue of marrying empress.

for byzantine emperors after anastasius i, see list of byzantine emperors .