ack ▁of ▁Rome , ▁suffered ▁from ▁food ▁short ages ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁V andal ▁control ▁of ▁the ▁naval ▁routes , ▁ag gra v ated ▁by ▁the ▁requirements ▁of ▁the ▁foreign ▁troops ▁that ▁had ▁arrived ▁with ▁Av it us . ▁The ▁imperial ▁tre as ury ▁was ▁almost ▁empty ▁and , ▁after ▁dis band ing ▁his ▁Vis ig oth ▁guard ▁because ▁of ▁popular ▁pressure , ▁Av it us ▁was ▁obliged ▁to ▁pay ▁their ▁huge ▁w ages ▁by ▁mel ting ▁down ▁and ▁s elling ▁the ▁bronze ▁of ▁some ▁stat ues . ▁ ▁Count ing ▁on ▁the ▁popular ▁dis content , ▁on ▁the ▁dis band ment ▁of ▁the ▁imperial ▁guard , ▁and ▁on ▁the ▁prest ige ▁gained ▁through ▁their ▁vict ories , ▁Ric imer ▁and ▁the ▁comes ▁domestic orum ▁Major ian ▁re bel led ▁against ▁Av it us ; ▁the ▁Emperor ▁was ▁obliged ▁to ▁leave ▁Rome ▁in ▁early ▁aut umn ▁and ▁to ▁move ▁north . ▁Ric imer ▁had ▁the ▁Roman ▁Senate ▁dep ose ▁Av it us ▁and ▁ordered ▁the ▁murder ▁of ▁the ▁mag ister ▁milit um ▁Rem ist us ▁in ▁the ▁Pal at ium ▁at ▁Cl asse , ▁ancient ▁port ▁of ▁R aven na , ▁on ▁ 1 7 ▁September ▁ 4 5 6 . ▁ ▁Av it us ▁decided ▁to ▁react . ▁First ▁he ▁chose ▁Mess ian us , ▁one ▁of ▁his ▁collabor ators ▁in ▁his ▁emb ass y ▁to ▁the ▁Vis ig oth s ▁ordered ▁by ▁Pet ron ius ▁Maxim us , ▁as ▁the ▁new ▁mag ister ▁milit um ; ▁then ▁he ▁probably ▁went ▁to