Libius Severus

Western Roman Emperor (420-465)

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Lived 420–465, aged 45Italy

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51 languages
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Era
420–465
Aged 45

Summary

Updated 2026-06-09

A puppet emperor who ruled Rome for four years without ever really ruling it. Libius Severus sat the throne while his general, Ricimer, pulled the strings — so completely that historians still can't say which decisions, if any, were actually his.

Biography

About

A native of Lucania, Severus became the fourth "Shadow Emperor" after the Valentinianic dynasty fell in 455, taking power on November 19, 461, when Ricimer overthrew the previous emperor, Majorian, and installed a more pliable replacement. His reign unraveled quickly: the eastern emperor Leo refused recognition, the Vandal king Gaiseric broke Majorian's alliance and raided Italy, officials in Gaul and Dalmatia rejected his authority, and the Alans invaded Northern Italy. The ancient sources say almost nothing about his life or character — the silence itself a kind of verdict. He died on Novemb…

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