So after Ricimer's overthrow of Majorian, the magister militum in Gaul, Aegidius, refused to recognize Ricimer's authority. After a bried interregnum, Ricimer and his puppet emperor Libius Severus, gave the former magister militum of Gaul who Majorian had replaced with Aegidius, Agrippinus, command of an army to crush Aegidius.
Agrippinus offered the Goths the Mediterranean port of Narbone in exchange for support against Aegidius. Theodoric jumped at the offer. Late in 462, Aegidius and his Frankish allies met Agrippinus and his gothic allies in battle at Orleans, and soundly defeated them. However, squabbling amongst the Frankish nobles prevented Aegidius from following up his victory and putting the pressure on the Goths, and perhaps achieving total victory.
Now, what if the Franks didn't succumb to internal squabbling an Aegidius achieves total victory? I think after crushing the Goths he could turn what was left of them into his vassal (much like they used to be the vassals of the western roman empire). With control of Gaul, well, Italy and the overthrow of Ricimer is ripe for the taking.Maybe he could get Marcellinus, another supporter of Majorian who refused to recognize Ricimer and was in control of a large army in Dalmatia, to invade Italy from the east while he invades from the west, well Ricimer is pretty much screwed.
Now, Leo is almost sure to recognize Aegidius as emperor, for he was no fan of Ricimer and his recent overthrow of the other emperor he legally recognized, Majorian. If Zeno still is up for throwing all the money and manpower he has at taking back north africa, and say, Genseric conveniently dies (He was getting old anyway, having ruled since 428), then a retaking of North Africa may be very much within Aegidius' grasp.
Thoughts?
Agrippinus offered the Goths the Mediterranean port of Narbone in exchange for support against Aegidius. Theodoric jumped at the offer. Late in 462, Aegidius and his Frankish allies met Agrippinus and his gothic allies in battle at Orleans, and soundly defeated them. However, squabbling amongst the Frankish nobles prevented Aegidius from following up his victory and putting the pressure on the Goths, and perhaps achieving total victory.
Now, what if the Franks didn't succumb to internal squabbling an Aegidius achieves total victory? I think after crushing the Goths he could turn what was left of them into his vassal (much like they used to be the vassals of the western roman empire). With control of Gaul, well, Italy and the overthrow of Ricimer is ripe for the taking.Maybe he could get Marcellinus, another supporter of Majorian who refused to recognize Ricimer and was in control of a large army in Dalmatia, to invade Italy from the east while he invades from the west, well Ricimer is pretty much screwed.
Now, Leo is almost sure to recognize Aegidius as emperor, for he was no fan of Ricimer and his recent overthrow of the other emperor he legally recognized, Majorian. If Zeno still is up for throwing all the money and manpower he has at taking back north africa, and say, Genseric conveniently dies (He was getting old anyway, having ruled since 428), then a retaking of North Africa may be very much within Aegidius' grasp.
Thoughts?