Ovida
Encyclopedia
Ovida was a general
during the late Western Roman Empire
and the last Roman ruler of Dalmatia
.
Following Flavius Orestes
's coup against the Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos
on August 28, 475, Ovida remained loyal to the Emperor
and accompanied him on his escape to Dalmatia. The situation in Dalmatia, in contrast to the situation in the rest of the Empire
, was fairly stable, to the relief of the civilian population and the legionaries
. For the next three years, Nepos ruled in Dalmatia while in the West
Orestes's son Romulus Augustus
was deposed as Emperor by the Scirian
general Odoacer
.
However, in 479 Nepos began planning an operation to reconquer Italy
from the barbarian
s. These news of military adventures in faraway Italy did not sit well with Nepos's primarily Dalmatian troops; by this point, Dalmatia had been de facto
independent
for twenty-five years and had no great desire to jeopardize that by provoking Odoacer. In the spring of 480 Nepos was assassinated. Historical sources have left us with three different dates for Nepos death and three different suspects for it. He was killed by disgruntled soldiers seeking to forestall his attack, or by agents of Glycerius
, who preceded Nepos as Western Roman Emperor
and who thoroughly loathed him, or by Ovida http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Odoacer who had taken control of the Dalmatian legions.
Nepos was supported by the Eastern Roman Emperor
Zeno
, of whom Odoacer was technically a vassal
. Acting out of a supposed duty as Zeno's subordinate in Italy, Odoacer used the news of the assassination
as an excuse to invade Dalmatia.
Ovida, as the only authority figure left in Dalmatia, was forced to defend Dalmatia against Odoacer's forces in a short war
that ended with Ovida's death
on December 9, 480. Dalmatia was then annexed
to become part of Odoacer's Kingdom of Italy.
General
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
during the late Western Roman Empire
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
and the last Roman ruler of Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
.
Following Flavius Orestes
Flavius Orestes
Orestes was a Roman general and politician of Germanic ancestry, who was briefly in control of the Western Roman Empire in 475–6.-Early life:...
's coup against the Western Roman Emperor Julius Nepos
Julius Nepos
Julius Nepos was Western Roman Emperor de facto from 474 to 475 and de jure until 480. Some historians consider him to be the last Western Roman Emperor, while others consider the western line to have ended with Romulus Augustulus in 476...
on August 28, 475, Ovida remained loyal to the Emperor
Emperor
An emperor is a monarch, usually the sovereign ruler of an empire or another type of imperial realm. Empress, the female equivalent, may indicate an emperor's wife or a woman who rules in her own right...
and accompanied him on his escape to Dalmatia. The situation in Dalmatia, in contrast to the situation in the rest of the Empire
Decline of the Roman Empire
The decline of the Roman Empire refers to the gradual societal collapse of the Western Roman Empire. Many theories of causality prevail, but most concern the disintegration of political, economic, military, and other social institutions, in tandem with foreign invasions and usurpers from within the...
, was fairly stable, to the relief of the civilian population and the legionaries
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
. For the next three years, Nepos ruled in Dalmatia while in the West
West
West is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.West is one of the four cardinal directions or compass points. It is the opposite of east and is perpendicular to north and south.By convention, the left side of a map is west....
Orestes's son Romulus Augustus
Romulus Augustus
Romulus Augustus , was the last Western Roman Emperor, reigning from 31 October 475 until 4 September 476...
was deposed as Emperor by the Scirian
Scirii
The Scirii were an East Germanic tribe of Eastern Europe, attested in historical works between the 2nd century BC and 5th century AD.The etymology of their name is unclear...
general Odoacer
Odoacer
Flavius Odoacer , also known as Flavius Odovacer, was the first King of Italy. His reign is commonly seen as marking the end of the Western Roman Empire. Though the real power in Italy was in his hands, he represented himself as the client of Julius Nepos and, after Nepos' death in 480, of the...
.
However, in 479 Nepos began planning an operation to reconquer Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
from the barbarian
Barbarian
Barbarian and savage are terms used to refer to a person who is perceived to be uncivilized. The word is often used either in a general reference to a member of a nation or ethnos, typically a tribal society as seen by an urban civilization either viewed as inferior, or admired as a noble savage...
s. These news of military adventures in faraway Italy did not sit well with Nepos's primarily Dalmatian troops; by this point, Dalmatia had been de facto
De facto
De facto is a Latin expression that means "concerning fact." In law, it often means "in practice but not necessarily ordained by law" or "in practice or actuality, but not officially established." It is commonly used in contrast to de jure when referring to matters of law, governance, or...
independent
Independence
Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state in which its residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory....
for twenty-five years and had no great desire to jeopardize that by provoking Odoacer. In the spring of 480 Nepos was assassinated. Historical sources have left us with three different dates for Nepos death and three different suspects for it. He was killed by disgruntled soldiers seeking to forestall his attack, or by agents of Glycerius
Glycerius
Glycerius was a Western Roman Emperor from 473 to 474. Elevated by his Magister militum, Gundobad, Glycerius’ elevation was rejected by the court at Constantinople, and he was ousted by Julius Nepos. He later served as the bishop of Salona in the early Catholic Church.-Rise to power:Sources on...
, who preceded Nepos as Western Roman Emperor
Western Roman Empire
The Western Roman Empire was the western half of the Roman Empire after its division by Diocletian in 285; the other half of the Roman Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire, commonly referred to today as the Byzantine Empire....
and who thoroughly loathed him, or by Ovida http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Odoacer who had taken control of the Dalmatian legions.
Nepos was supported by the Eastern Roman Emperor
Byzantine Empire
The Byzantine Empire was the Eastern Roman Empire during the periods of Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages, centred on the capital of Constantinople. Known simply as the Roman Empire or Romania to its inhabitants and neighbours, the Empire was the direct continuation of the Ancient Roman State...
Zeno
Zeno (emperor)
Zeno , originally named Tarasis, was Byzantine Emperor from 474 to 475 and again from 476 to 491. Domestic revolts and religious dissension plagued his reign, which nevertheless succeeded to some extent in foreign issues...
, of whom Odoacer was technically a vassal
Vassal
A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...
. Acting out of a supposed duty as Zeno's subordinate in Italy, Odoacer used the news of the assassination
Assassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
as an excuse to invade Dalmatia.
Ovida, as the only authority figure left in Dalmatia, was forced to defend Dalmatia against Odoacer's forces in a short war
War
War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...
that ended with Ovida's death
Death
Death is the permanent termination of the biological functions that sustain a living organism. Phenomena which commonly bring about death include old age, predation, malnutrition, disease, and accidents or trauma resulting in terminal injury....
on December 9, 480. Dalmatia was then annexed
Annexation
Annexation is the de jure incorporation of some territory into another geo-political entity . Usually, it is implied that the territory and population being annexed is the smaller, more peripheral, and weaker of the two merging entities, barring physical size...
to become part of Odoacer's Kingdom of Italy.