12 Facts About Libius Severus

Libius Severus, sometimes enumerated as Severus III, was emperor of the Western Roman Empire from 461 to his death in 465.

Libius Severus ruled for just under four years, attaining the throne after his predecessor, Majorian, was overthrown by his magister militum, Ricimer.

Libius Severus was the first of a series of emperors who were highly dependent on the general, and it is often presumed that Ricimer held most of the de facto power during Libius Severus' reign.

Libius Severus' reign was marked by diplomatic tension and an erosion of Rome's control over the non-Italian provinces.

Diplomatically, Libius Severus failed to secure the eastern emperor Leo's recognition, and the alliance Majorian had made with Vandal king Gaiseric crumbled as the Vandals raided Italy.

However, in Late Latin, the interchanging of b and v became common, and thus Libius Severus' cognomen is sometimes rendered incorrectly as Livius.

Libius Severus seems to have spent most of his rule in Rome rather than Ravenna, but whether this was out of personal preference, political expediency, precedent set by Valentinian, or Ricimer's prerogative is unknown.

In Gaul, Aegidius, though in revolt against Libius Severus, was unable to cross the Alps as he was tied down defending against the Visigoths.

Libius Severus sent the patrician Tatian on an embassy to the king of the Vandals, but Gaiseric rejected the terms outright.

The relationship between Ricimer and Libius Severus is a point of contention among scholars.

Some coins, dated approximately to Libius Severus' reign, bear a monogram on the reverse sometimes identified with Ricimer.

The details of Libius Severus' death are obscure, and the ancient sources are in disagreement, but the majority of modern scholars contend that Libius Severus died of natural causes.