Orestes (Roman soldier)
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Flavius Orestes (d. August 28, 476) was a Roman politician, who was briefly in control of the Roman Empire in 475–6.
Born an aristocrat of Pannonia Savia, F. Orestes was probably at least partly of Germanic descent. He was son to Tatulus, and son-in-law to comes (Count) Romulus, who served as military leader of Noricum (dux Norici). When Pannonia was ceded to Attila the Hun, Orestes joined Attila's court, reaching high position as a diplomat in negotiations between Attila and Valentinian III.
In 475, Orestes was appointed "master of soldiers" and patricius by Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos. This proved to be a mistake on the part of Nepos. By August 28, 475, Orestes, at the head of the foederati, managed to take control of the government in Ravenna, which had acted as the capital of the Western Roman Empire since 402. Julius Nepos fled without a fight to Dalmatia, where he would continue to reign until his assassination in 480.
Orestes was now the de facto ruler of the reduced Roman provinces west of Dalmatia, save Visigothic Hispania. But he was not considered a proper Roman and was therefore not eligible for the throne. Instead Orestes proclaimed his own son Flavius Romulus to be the new Emperor on October 31, 475. Romulus being either a child or in his early adolescence, his actual position was that of a figurehead. Meanwhile Orestes acted as the power behind the throne.
The imperial name Romulus Augustus for his son was a rather poor choice, as the name invited unfavorable comparisons with both Romulus, first King of Rome and Caesar Augustus, first Roman Emperor. The Roman public would instead declare him "Romulus Augustulus" ( "Romulus, Little Augustus").
The new administration was not recognized by the rival Eastern Roman Emperors Zeno and Basiliscus who still considered Julius Nepos to be their legitimate partner in the administration of the Empire. But being engaged in a civil war between them, neither emperor was about to oppose Orestes in battle.
Orestes was free to issue new Solidi in the mints of Arles, Milan, Ravenna and Rome. Thus he was able to pay the barbarian mercenaries who constituted most of the contemporary Roman Army.
However Orestes denied the demands of Heruli, Scirian and Torcilingi mercenaries to be granted Italian lands in which to settle. The dissatisfied mercenaries revolted under Germanic chieftain Odoacer, whom they declared to be their King on August 23, 476. Odoacer led them against their former employer. Orestes was captured near Piacenza on August 28 and was swiftly executed. Within weeks, Ravenna was captured and Romulus Augustus was deposed, the event that has been traditionally considered the fall of the Roman Empire.
See also:
External link
- Gibbon, Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire part v, chapter xxxvida:Flavius Orestes
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