Flavius Ricimer (died 472) was a Romanized German political chief and the central power in the Western Roman Empire in the mid-5th century.

Ricimer came from royal Germanic stock on both sides of his family. His father was the king of the Suevians; his mother was the daughter of the Visigothic king Wallia. He was a Christian but, like most Goths, belonged to the heretical Arian sect of Christianity. Along with many other Germans, he decided to make his career in the service of Rome. Details of his early career are not preserved, but he must have been successful in both the political and military spheres. He formed important friendships such as that with Majorian, the future emperor, and he was selected in 456 by the emperor Avitus to stop a threatened attack of the Vandals on Sicily. He succeeded and was awarded the rank of comes. Shortly thereafter...