Libius Severus

Flavius ​​Libius Severus (. Rarely Severus III called; † August 15 or after 25 September 465 in Rome) was 461-465 Western Roman Emperor.

The senator Libius Severus, about the origin of almost nothing is known, was raised on July 7 or more on 19 November 461 at the instigation of the army master Ricimer, the actual ruler of the Western Empire, after the execution Majorians the Western Roman Emperor. However, both of the Eastern Roman Emperor Leo and the military chief in Gaul and Dalmatia, Aegidius and Marcellinus, he refused to acknowledge. Aegidius created in northern Gaul own dominion, while the Vandals repeated the coastal areas of Italy plundered from their kingdom in North Africa. In southern Gaul Severus, however, was recognized as emperor; in Arles coins were minted with his image, and 464 the emperor could Arvandus as the new Praetorian Prefect use by Gallian. Meanwhile, could ward off an attack on Italy Alans Ricimer. For 464 -proclaimed Severus (or Ricimer ) not have its own consul, but admitted that the Eastern Emperor Leo named two candidates who have been searched then dated in the West. If this was an attempt to get closer to Konstantin Opel, so he probably was not crowned with success.

Severus was apparently never more than a shadow emperor, who did not rule itself, but only the military government under Ricimer should lend additional legitimacy. Later writers assumed that Ricimer 've finally poisoned him as a contemporary of the emperor, Sidonius Apollinaris speaks of a natural death.