In our timeline, the Fall of the Western Roman Empire was brought about by many things. Its fall was never certain though and many emperors fought to the end to restore the empire. One of these men was Anthemius. Born in the 420s, Anthemius served the Eastern emperors Marcian and Leo before being sent to the West to rule as the latter’s junior colleague. While Anthemius attempted to reverse the tide and organize counter-offensives against the Visigoths and Vandals (both of which failed spectacularly), he eventually ended up on the losing side of a civil war with his Magister Militum Ricimer and was executed in 472. What if that wasn’t the case though? What if the man commonly termed “the last person who attempted to restore the Western Empire” actually restored the Western Empire. Dear Reader, welcome to The History Lens. I hope you enjoy.

You see, back in 469, Anthemius had recruited a band of twelve thousand Britons from Britain or Armorica (I prefer the first) to attack the Visigoths. This army under the Brythonic king Riothamus was met with a crushing defeat at Deols. This is the turning point in the timeline. What if Riothamus won and Anthemius was able to build up is own strength to confront Ricimer.

If Riothamus won against the Visigothic king Euric, the most immediate effects off the battle include the temporary neutralization of Visigothic military power. After this, Anthemius would have brought together a large army of Romans and Burgundians (Roman foederati) which would have been paced under the command of his son, Anthemiolus. While this army was defeated in our timeline, reinforcements from Riothamus’ army as well as the depletion of Euric’s army would have now allowed a greater chance for Anthemiolus to win a battle. In the ensuing battle between the Roman coalition  and Visigothic armies, the Romans would have triumphed. While they would not be able to destroy the Visigoths, Euric would have been forced to submit to the Empire, enter Imperial service as foederati and give over Visigothic Hispania and other territories in Gaul over to the Romans. By the 470s, the execution of the Patrician Romanus would have put the two on a war footing. Ricimer would have gathered a large army, even making alliances with the Suebi, Visigoths, Burgundians and some Ripuarian Frankish groups as well as the Rugii. This cold war would have continued with Anthemius sending out overtures to the Salian Franks and other Ripuarian Frankish groups as well as the Alemanni.

The great Roman Civil War would  flare up in 472 when the Visigoths under Euric rebelled against Roman authority, persuaded to by Ricimer. As main troops under Anthemiolus and Riothamus would have been preoccupied with putting down his revolt, Ricimer would have struck. Gathering a large army of Burgundians and other foederati, he struck down through northern Italy in an effort to capture and kill Anthemius before the arrival of Eastern reinforcements. Anthemius, who was an accomplished general, fought many delaying actions before being forced to retreat to Southern Italy while Ricimer occupied Rome. Meanwhile Leo I began putting together an army to help Anthemius. This fleet which included the Ostrogoths under Theodoric the Amal, Theodoric Strabo and mainly consisted of Germanic leaders numbered at least 35,000 men. Just as it seemed hat Anthemius would be isolated and killed, the Eastern troops arrived, and Anthemius was now able to take the offensive against the now outnumbered Ricimer. Ricimer now led a fighting retreat towards his powerbase in northern Italy where he was reinforced by Ostrogoths under Videmir. By this time the number of troops on both sides would have been roughly equal—around 50,000. Both sides dug in around the River Po and began skirmishing. Understanding that he wouldn’t be able to beat Ricimer right now, Anthemius sent feelers out to Syagrius and Julius Nepos whose father and uncle respectively and seceded from the empire due to their enmity with Ricimer. Both agreed to join Anthemius and began mustering their troops. Hearing of this, Ricimer knew that he wouldn’t be able to fight the war in Italy anymore with Nepos’ troops pouring across the Alps and his allies in Gaul being attacked from every side. His army retreated across the Alps, followed all the way by that of Anthemius. Reinforced by Burgundian troops though, Ricimer repulsed a bloody assault near Lyon and fought another inconclusive battle near Arelate.

Retreating further into Gaul, he deal a heavy defeat to the army of Riothamus and Anthemiolus and relieved Euric who was under siege at Toulouse. Joining his army to that of the Visigothic army, he advanced and met the Imperial Army at the Battle of Lyon. Anthemius suffered a heavy defeat, but was able to withdraw in good order to the Burgundian capital at Lyon and proceeded to capture it. Understanding that time was of the essence, Anthemius promised the Franks all lands east of the Loire while promising the Alemanni lands in Noricum which had been abandoned by the Romans a long time back. Soldiers from both groups proceeded to reinforce the Imperial Army which began to push back the rebels in a series of counter-offensives .Wanting to keep his army intact, Ricimer led his army north into the lands of the Ripuarian Franks who bolstered his forces. The Imperials who had taken heavy losses allowed Ricimer to complete this retreat in 473. They were reinforced by Nepos who was promised Pannonia and Illyricum if he agreed to join the Imperial Army and submit too Anthemius. In the campaigning season of 474 the  Imperial army headed north where they were reinforced by Syagrius and Childeric’s troops. In a bloody winter offensive, five battles at Cologne, Noviodunum, Rheims, Tournai and Bononia (Boulogne) saw roughly 25,000 casualties on both sides with no clear winner. Ricimer’s army was close to collapse and seeing as many Ripuarian chieftains were defecting to the Imperial cause, he decided to take what was left of his army and head north into Britain.

Allying with the Saxon chieftains, Ricimer amassed a large army and invaded Northern Gaul. Anthemius faced him at Bononia and defeated him in a titanic battle. Ricimer was killed in the rout. In order to punish the Saxons for collaborating with Ricimer, Anthemius sent his son Marcian to Britian where the Saxons were defeated and the Southern part of the old Roman Provine was returned to the Empire. The only enemy left to beat now was the Vandals. Anthemius’ disastrous expedition in 468 had effectively lost Africa and despite the current restoration, Roman troops wouldn’t be able to land on African soil. So, Anthemius made a  deal with the Mauro-Roman kingdoms which pledged allegiance and become the vassals of the Roman emperor while raiding the Vandals with Roman support. This tactic effectively recovered more than half of the lost province of Africa,

Anthemius’ final challenge came  in 475. In Constantinople, Basiliscus had deposed Zeno and the Eastern Empire was locked in a civil war. Sensing an advantage, Anthemius had his son Marcian crowned as Eastern Emperor. Egypt, Greece, Crete, Cyprus and Syra declared for him while Thrace remained under  Basiliscus’ control and Anatolia under Zeno. A large combined army under Marcian marched up  the Levant and quickly defeated Zeno. The latter was spirited away to live out th remainder of his life in an estate near Alexandria. Marcian the turned on Basiliscus and captured  Constantinople. Basiliscus was executed though as revenge for the downing of the Roman fleet in 468. Marcian soon became Emperor of the Eastern Roman Empire. Finally in 480, Anthemius died, having divided his empire between his four sons according to the Tetrarchical borders of Diocletian and Galerius. Romulus got Gaul, Britian and Hispania while Procopius Anthemius got Italy and Africa. Anthemius II received Thrace and Illyricum while Marcia received the res. The Roman Empire was restored-for now.

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