Glycerius () was Roman emperor of the West from 473 to 474. He served as (commander of the palace guard) during the reign of Olybrius (), until Olybrius died in November 472. After a four-month interregnum, Glycerius was proclaimed as emperor in March 473 by Gundobad, the (master of soldiers) and power behind the throne. Very few of the events of his reign are known other than that an attempted invasion of Italy by the Visigoths was repelled by local commanders, diverting them to Gaul. Glycerius also prevented an invasion by the Ostrogoths through diplomacy, including a gift of 2,000 . Glycerius was not recognized by the Eastern Roman emperor Leo I (), who instead nominated Julius Nepos () as Western Emperor and sent him with an army to invade the Western Empire. Glycerius was without allies because Gundobad had abandoned him, and therefore was forced to abdicate on 24 June 474, and was succeeded by Nepos. He was appointed Bishop of Salona, which position he held until his death. He died, possibly in 480, and a nearly contemporaneous source blames him for the assassination of Nepos, but the records for this event are muddled. Life Background The historian Penny MacGeorge states the summary that "almost nothing is known of Glycerius". Glycerius was born in Dalmatia. His family is unknown, and may not have been aristocratic. He rose to the office of (commander of the palace guard), and likely served as such during the reign of Western Roman Emperor Olybrius (). The Germanic (master of soldiers) Ricimer had deposed the Western Roman Emperor Majorian () in 461, and thereafter installed a series of Western Roman emperors as puppets: Libius Severus (), Anthemius (), and Olybrius, enthroned in July 472, after Ricimer overthrew Anthemius. Ricimer died on 18 August 472, forty days after deposing Anthemius, and was succeeded as and kingmaker by his Burgundian nephew Gundobad. Olybrius died shortly thereafter, on 2 November 472, and an interregnum ensued for nearly four months, before Gundobad convinced Glycerius to assume the throne, and proclaimed him as emperor at Ravenna: the , a record of consular years, states that it was on 5 March 473, however, the , also a consular record, asserts it was on the 3rd. Reign Few events of Glycerius' reign are known. Glycerius is known from a few fragmented references in what historian Ralph Mathisen calls "jejune chronicles", such as