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Libius Severus
Emperor of the Western Roman Empire
Libius Severus on an as. The reverse spells the name of Severus using a combination of greek and latin letters.
Reign	November 461-August 465
Born	Lucania
Died	August 15, 465
Predecessor	Majorian
Successor	Anthemius

Libius Severus was a Western Roman Emperor, 461–465.

Ricimer elevated Libius Severus, of Lucanian origin, to the rank of emperor after the death of Majorian in November 461; the Eastern Roman Emperor Leo I refused to acknowledge him.

Historians of an earlier age were content to label Severus a puppet of Ricimer, but as records of his activities and his personality are sparse, there is hardly a basis for such judgements.

It is a common misconception that the reverse of his bronze coins depict Ricimer's monogram. The apparent Latin C is a Greek sigma, so the reverse spells the name of Severus using a combination of Latin and Greek letters.

Libius Severus died on August 15, 465; contemporary historians believed Ricimer had him poisoned, but death for natural causes is also possible.

Bibliography

• D. Woods, "A Misunderstood Monogram: Ricimer or Severus?," Hermathena 172 (2002), 5-21.

External links

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Libius Severus

• coinage of Libius Severus