Anthemius
Foreign affairs
### Foreign affairs

#### Relationship with the Eastern Empire

The reign of Anthemius was characterised by a good diplomatic relationship with the Eastern Empire; for example, Anthemius is the last Western Emperor to be recorded in an Eastern law.*[Justinian code](/wiki/Justinian_code "Justinian code")*, I.11\.8, issued on 1 July 472, cited in Mathisen. Both courts collaborated in the choice of the yearly consuls, as each court chose a consul and accepted the other's choice. Anthemius had the honour of holding the consulate *sine collega* (without a colleague) in 468, the first year he started as Emperor, following a similar honour given to Leo in 466\. The following year the two consuls were Anthemius' son, [Marcian](/wiki/Marcian_%28usurper%29 "Marcian (usurper)"), and Leo's son\-in\-law, [Flavius Zeno](/wiki/Zeno_%28emperor%29 "Zeno (emperor)") (later successor of Leo on the Eastern throne).

In 470 the consuls were [Messius Phoebus Severus](/wiki/Messius_Phoebus_Severus "Messius Phoebus Severus"), Anthemius' old friend and fellow student at [Proclus](/wiki/Proclus "Proclus")' school, and the *Magister militum per Orientem* [Flavius Iordanes](/wiki/Flavius_Iordanes "Flavius Iordanes"). In 471, the year in which Leo held his fourth consulate with the [Praetorian prefect of Italy](/wiki/Praetorian_prefect_of_Italy "Praetorian prefect of Italy") [Caelius Aconius Probianus](/wiki/Caelius_Aconius_Probianus "Caelius Aconius Probianus") as colleague, the two emperors strengthened their bonds with a marriage between Anthemius' son, Marcian, and Leo's daughter, [Leontia](/wiki/Leontia_Porphyrogenita "Leontia Porphyrogenita"); Marcian was honoured with his second consulate the following year, this time chosen by the Eastern court.

Anthemius' matrimonial policy also included the marriage of his only daughter, [Alypia](/wiki/Alypia_%28daughter_of_Anthemius%29 "Alypia (daughter of Anthemius)"), and the powerful *Magister militum* Ricimer. The poet [Sidonius Apollinaris](/wiki/Sidonius_Apollinaris "Sidonius Apollinaris") arrived in [Rome](/wiki/Rome "Rome") on the occasion of the wedding at the end of 467 and described the celebrations in which all social classes were involved; he also hints that Alypia might have not liked her husband, a barbarian.Sidonius Apollinaris, *Epistulae*, i.5\.10–11\.

#### Campaigns against the Vandals

[alt\=AV semissis – RIC X, 2837 (Rome)\|thumb\|A solidus of Anthemius.](/wiki/File:Anthemius.jpg "Anthemius.jpg")

The Vandals were the major problem of the Western Empire. In late 467, Anthemius organised a campaign of the western Roman army, probably under the command of [Marcellinus](/wiki/Marcellinus_%28magister_militum%29 "Marcellinus (magister militum)"). The campaign to overthrow the Vandals was on a large scale, with more than 100,000 men. However, the war would end in failure: the bad weather obliged the [Roman fleet](/wiki/Roman_Navy "Roman Navy") to return to its base before completing the operation.

In 468, [Leo the Thracian](/wiki/Leo_I_the_Thracian "Leo I the Thracian"), Anthemius and Marcellinus organized a major operation against the [Vandal Kingdom](/wiki/Vandal_Kingdom "Vandal Kingdom") in Africa. The commander\-in\-chief of the operation was Leo's brother\-in\-law [Basiliscus](/wiki/Basiliscus "Basiliscus") (who would become Eastern emperor seven years later). A fleet consisting of upwards of one thousand vessels was collected to transport the combined Eastern\-Western\-Illyric army, and while most of the expenses were paid for by the Eastern Empire, Anthemius and the Western treasury contributed to the costs. The Roman fleet took a massive defeat at the [Battle of Cape Bon](/wiki/Battle_of_Cape_Bon_%28468%29 "Battle of Cape Bon (468)") due to Basiliscus allowing Gaiseric five days to draw up conditions for a peace, which he used to gather his ships and surprise attack the Roman fleet, destroying at least half of the Roman ships. Basiliscus escaped the battle to Sicily to meet with Marcellinus, although Marcellinus was later killed by an assassin.

Leo decided to sign a separate peace with Gaiseric. Anthemius lost his allies and, with the imperial treasury almost emptied by the failed operation, renounced taking Africa back. Peter Heather considers this expedition to have been the final opportunity to restore the Empire, which from this point would now only control the Italian peninsula and Sicily.

#### Campaigns against the Visigoths

After the disastrous campaign in Africa, Anthemius concentrated on the second problem of his Empire, keeping under his control the Western provinces targeted by Visigothic expansion. He turned to the reconquest of [Gaul](/wiki/Gaul "Gaul"), occupied by [Visigoths](/wiki/Visigoths "Visigoths") under the ambitious King [Euric](/wiki/Euric "Euric") who had exploited the weak Roman control caused by political instability. Euric's sphere of influence had also separated some imperial provinces from the rest of the Empire. Even though [Arelate](/wiki/Arelate "Arelate") and [Marseilles](/wiki/Marseilles "Marseilles") in Southern Gaul were still governed by the Western court, [Avernia](/wiki/Clermont-Ferrand "Clermont-Ferrand") was isolated from the rest of the Empire and governed by [Ecdicius](/wiki/Ecdicius "Ecdicius"), son of Emperor Avitus, while the territory later included in the so\-called [Domain of Soissons](/wiki/Domain_of_Soissons "Domain of Soissons") was located further north.

In 470, Anthemius recruited Britons living in either Britain or Armorica to fight Euricus.*[Chronica gallica anno 511](/wiki/Chronica_gallica_anno_511 "Chronica gallica anno 511")*, n. 649, *s.a.* 470; Sidonius Apollinaris, *Epistulae* III.9 The Britons, under King [Riothamus](/wiki/Riothamus "Riothamus"), were initially successful and occupied [Bourges](/wiki/Bourges "Bourges") with twelve thousand men. However, when they entered the core of Visigoth territory, trying to conquer [Déols](/wiki/D%C3%A9ols "Déols"), they were outnumbered and defeated by a Visigoth army, and Riothamus was forced to flee to the [Burgundians](/wiki/Burgundians "Burgundians"), who were Roman allies.[Jordanes](/wiki/Jordanes "Jordanes"), 237–238; [Gregory of Tours](/wiki/Gregory_of_Tours "Gregory of Tours"), [ii.18](/wiki/s:La:Historiarum_Francorum_libri_X_-_Liber_II%2318._Quod_Childericus_Aurilianus_et_Andecavo_venit_Odovacrius. "La:Historiarum Francorum libri X - Liber II#18. Quod Childericus Aurilianus et Andecavo venit Odovacrius.").

Anthemius took the matter into his own hands and decided to attack the Visigoths directly. He collected an army under the nominal leadership of his own son, [Anthemiolus](/wiki/Anthemiolus "Anthemiolus"), but actually commanded by the generals Torisarius, Everdingus, and Hermianus. Anthemiolus moved from Arelate and crossed the [Rhone](/wiki/Rhone "Rhone") river, but he was intercepted by Euric, who [defeated](/wiki/Battle_of_Arles_%28471%29 "Battle of Arles (471)") and killed the Roman generals and pillaged the area.*Chronica gallica anno 511*, n. 649 *s.a.* 471, cited in Mathisen.


Who governed Arelate and Marseilles in Southern Gaul?