Majorian

Majorian was Western Roman emperor from 457 to 461 and one of the last rulers of the western empire to conduct ambitious campaigns and administrative reform. A capable soldier, he had served under the powerful general Aetius and rose during the political disorder following the deaths of Valentinian III and Avitus. Supported initially by the general Ricimer, Majorian was proclaimed emperor and worked to restore effective imperial control over territories in Gaul and Hispania that had drifted toward autonomous or barbarian rule.

Majorian defeated opponents in Gaul, negotiated with Visigothic and Burgundian powers and prepared a major expedition against the Vandal kingdom in North Africa. The campaign collapsed when his fleet was destroyed or captured near Carthago Nova in 460, probably through Vandal action and betrayal. He also issued legislation addressing taxation, municipal administration, military burdens and the preservation of public buildings. Returning to Italy weakened, Majorian was arrested by Ricimer, forced to abdicate and executed in 461, leaving the western government increasingly dependent on military kingmakers.

Ian Hughes’ Patricians and Emperors begins with the final consequences of Aëtius’s death and follows the careers of Avitus, Majorian and the generals who attempted to preserve authority in Gaul, Italy, Spain and Africa. Particular attention is given to Ricimer, whose control of the army allowed him to support, constrain and depose successive emperors.