Remistus

Remistus (died 17 September 456) was a general of the Western Roman Empire and commander-in-chief of the army under Emperor Avitus.

Remistus
Born	before 437 Gaul, Western Roman Empire
Died	17 September 456 (aged at least 20) Ravenna, Western Roman Empire
Cause of death	Execution
Rank	Magister militum
Known for	First Visigothic Magister militum
Battles / wars	Roman civil war of 456

Life

Remistus was a Goth, as shown by his Germanic name. In 456 Remistus reached a high military rank under Emperor Avitus, who probably appointed him magister militum, and received the rank of patricius: he was the first magister militum since the death of Aetius in 454 and the first barbarian commander-in-chief of the Roman army.

The newly appointed general took up residence in Ravenna, the capital, with a group of Goths. That same year Avitus, who was opposed by the Roman Senate, decided to leave Italy and go to his native Gaul to gather reinforcements; Remistus remained back to control Italy. He clashed with the Senate army, led by the Italian magister militum Ricimer and was forced to return to Ravenna; besieged, he was captured and put to death in the Palace in Classis, just outside the city, on September 17.

The following month, Avitus was deposed and later died.

Bibliography

• Fasti vindobonenses priores, 579; Auctarium Prosperi Havniense, 1.
• Theophanes the Confessor, AM 5948
• Jones, Arnold Hugh Martin, John Robert Martindale, John Morris, "Remistus", The Prosopography of the Later Roman Empire, volume 2, Cambridge University Press, p. 939.
• Mathisen, Ralph W., "Avitus (9/10 July 455 - 17/18 October 456)", De Imperatoribus Romanis

Military offices
Preceded by Aetius In 454	Magister militum of the Western Roman Army 456	Succeeded by Messianus