A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

654 RICIMER. ROMA.'ad Hoen. p. 237). A second mythical personage plied with, and for some time the two supreme
of this name is mentioned by Pausanias (ii. 6. ~ chiefs ruled peacefully together. Soon, however,
4.) [L. S.] their harmony was disturbed by jealousy, and
RI'CIMER, one of the most extraordinary Ricimer withdrew to Milan, ready to declare war
characters in later Roman history, and worthy of. against his father-in-law. St. Epiphanius reconciled
being called the Roman " King-Maker," was the them, and matters went on to their mutual satisson of a Suevian chief who had married the faction till 472, when Leo got rid of his overbeardaughter of Wallia, king of the West Goths. He ing minister, Aspar. This event made Ricimler
spent his youth at the court of the emperor Valen- reflect upon his own safety, for he justly appretinian, served with distinction under A'tius, and hended that the western emperor would follow the
was raised to the dignity of comes. His rare example set by his colleague in the East. iHe
talents, boundless ambition, and daring courage therefore forthwith sallied out from Milan with a
urged him on to still higher eminence, and his picked and devoted army, and laid siege to Rome.
treacherous disposition and systematic selfishness Even before the city was taken, Ricimer offered
assisted him greatly in attaining his object. In A. D. the diadem to Oiybrius, whom Leo had sent
456, Ricimer gained a decisive naval victory off thither to negotiate a peace between the rivals.
Corsica over a fleet of the Vandals, then at war Anthemius was massacred some days after Rome
with Avitus, and he defeated the land-forces of had been taken by Ricimer and plundered by his
the Vandals near Agrigentum in Sicily. These warriors. Olybrius now reigned as emperor as far
victories made his name so popular that he resolved as was possible under the over-hanging sword of
upon carrying out a scheme which he seems to the King-Maker; but only forty days after the
have formed some time previously, namely, to de- sack of Rome, Ricimer died of a malignant fever
pose Avitus, who had, ever since his accession, (18th August 472), after having made and unmade
ceased to display his former great qualities, and five Roman emperois. (The authorities quoted in
had incurred the hatred and contempt of his sub- the lives of ANTHIEMIUS, AV1TUS, MAJORIANUS,
jects. After his return to Italy, Ricimer kindled OLYBRIUS, and SEVERUS.) [W. P.]
a rebellion at Ravenna, gained the assistance of ROBI'GUS (or fem. ROBI'GO) is described
the Roman senate, and then set out to encounter by some Latin writers as a divinity worshipped
Avitus, who approached from Gaul. A bloody for the purpose of averting blight or too great
battle was fought at Placentia, on the 16th (17th) heat from the young cornfields. The festival of
October, 456, in which Avitus lost his crown and the Robigalia was celebrated on the 25th of April,
liberty. Ricimer made him bishop of Placentia, and was said to have been instituted by Numa
but soon afterwards contrived his death. Marcian, (Varro, de Lmng. Lat. vi. 16; Serv. ad Virg.
and after him Leo, emperors of the East, now as- Georg. i. 151; Gellius, v. 12; Ov. Fast. iv. 907,
sumed the title of Western emperors also; but the 911). But considering the uncertainty of the
power was with Ricimer, who might have seized ancients themselves as to whether the divinity was
the diadem, in spite of the law that no barbarian masculine or feminine, and that the Romans did
should be Roman emperor, but preferred to give it not pay divine honours to any evil demon, it is
to Majorian. He had previously obtained the title highly probable that the divinity Robigus, or
of patrician from Leo, who also gave consent to Robigo, is only an abstraction of the later Romans
the nomination of Majorian (475). A proof that from the festival of the Robigalia. (Comp. Varro,
the real power remained in Ricimer is given by die Re Rust. i. 2.) [L. S.]
Majorian himself, who in a letter to the senate, pre- ROCUS, Q. CREPEREIUS. [CREPEREIUS.]
served in the Codex Theodosianus, says that he ROCUS, ROMI'LIUS. [RoMILIus.]
and " his father Ricimer" would take proper care ROLES, a king of some tribes of the Getae,
of military affairs. Majorian h*wing displayed fought under Crassus, the proconsul of Macedonia,
uncommon energy, and, to Ricimer, most unex- B. c. 29, against the neighbouring barbarians, and
pected wisdom, the latter was filled with jealousy, was recognised by Augustus as a friend and ally.
and contrived the sudden and famous plot, in con- According to Leunclavius, the name is the same
sequence of which Majorian lost his life by Rici- as the Norman Rollo, and the German Rodolph.
mer's order (461). Ricimer put Vibius Severus (Dion Cass. li. 24, 26.)
Serpentinas on the throne in his stead. The ac- ROMA ('PJA?7). 1. The personification of the
cession of the new emperor was not approved of city of Rome, and as such called Dea Roma.
by Leo, and was contested by Aegidius, in Gaul, Temples were erected to her, not only at Rome,
a province where Ricimner had not succeeded in but in other cities of the empire, such as Smyrna
obtaining more than nominal power. The revolt (Tac. Ann. iv. 56; SpartiaIi. Hadr. 19). She was
of Aegidius, however, was absorbed by other in- represented clad in a long robe, and with a helmet,
testine troubles in Gaul, and caused no danger to in a sitting posture, strongly resembling the
Italy. Severus died in 465, perhaps poisoned by figures of the Greek Athena. She was in reality
Ricimer, and during eighteen months the empire the genius of the city of Rome, and was worshipped
was without an emperor, though not without a as such from early times; but it seems that previous
head, for that was always Ricimer's. The Ro- to the time of Augustus, there was no temple dermans, however, were displeased with his despotism, dicated to her in the city; but afterwards their
and requested Leo to give them an emperor. An- number increased in all parts of the empire (Liv.
themius was accordingly proposed and accepted, xliii. 5; Tac. Ann. iv. 37; Dion Cass. li. p. 458; P.
not only by the people, but also by Ricimer, who Vict. Reg. Urb. iv.). As Roma ( pkCz,) also sigshowed great diplomatic skill in this transaction: nified " strength," it is not impossible that the ode
he made a sort of bargain with the successful can- of Erinna, addressed to Roma, may be an ode to
didate, and promised to lend him his assistance on the personification of strength.
condition that Anthemius should give him his 2. A Trojan captive, who advised her fellowdaughter in marriage. This was accordingly com- captives on the coast of Italy to set fire to the fleet