PANEL OF TAPESTRY said of the Royal Manufactures... Lot 57

PANEL OF TAPESTRY said of the Royal Manufactures of the city of Brussels of the beginning of the XVII° century. The panel of tapestry presented here belongs to a hanging having for subject the history of Rome. Here, it is a panel having for register "the election of the barbarian Odoacre, King of Rome", on September 4, 476. Wool and silk 250 cm x 405 cm. (restorations and wear) Odoacre is probably of Skire origin, spends his youth at the court of Attila Attila's court, then joined the Roman army at the age of thirty, when the reign of of Anthemius began to falter. The first mention of Odoacre could be contained in a fragment of the chronicle of Gregory of Tours, which tells the battles of the king of the Franks Frankish king Childeric I Ægidius and Count Paul around the year 460. The first certain fact recounted in the sources the sources takes place at the time of the departure of Odoacre of Pannonia. A monk, named Severin, established in Noricia a small theocratic kingdom. Of a great austerity, this monk reputed "saint" of his life is considered is considered as a prophet whose acts are miracles and whose words are predictions. predictions. Odoacre, then "a young man of great stature and dressed in poor clothes stopped in the cell of the hermit, who said to him before his departure: "Continue on your way; go to Italy under the coarse skins that cover you. The time is not far when the least of the gifts gifts that you will distribute to your friends will be worth more than all the baggage that now makes your wealth." He then enrolled as a doryphorus or spear-carrier in the guard of of the emperor Anthemius. In the year 472, he joined Ricimer's side in the war which opposed this one with the emperor. Ricimer succeeds in deposing Anthémius, but dies six weeks later weeks later. Olybrius and Glycerius succeeded him but were not recognized by the emperor Zénon who sends the general Julius Nepos. Nepos manages to drive out Glycerius; Julius Nepos is proclaimed Unpopular, he was overthrown by the general Flavius Orestes, Pannonian like Odoacre, until then commander of the Roman troops in Gaul, who installs his own son, Romulus Augustulus, on the throne. At the beginning of his career, Flavius Orestes had been secretary of Attila and had fallen out with Odoacre's father. father of Odoacre. Enemies, Orestes and Odoacre are both in Italy, Orestes as commander-in-chief of the armies and Odoacre as the most dignified of the barbarian leaders serving in this same army. The departure of Nepos allows Orestes to regulate the affairs of Gaul to the advantage of the Visigoths, who took possession of the Auvergne and the Burgundians. The various Germanic groups which compose now the Roman army estimate soon that they are less well treated than the enemies of Rome. The revolt rumbles then in the body formed of Ruges, Scyres and Turcilinges stationed in Liguria, which requires to receive lands equivalent to the third of the territory of Italy. Orestes refuses. The mutiny then degenerates into a revolt and Odoacre takes the command of the mutineers. Calling for help all the barbarians who want to join his camp, he is soon at the head of an imposing army. Orestes then takes refuge in Ravenna, concentrating there all that remains of loyal army in Italy. Defeated a first time in the plain of Lodi, Orestes flees to Pavia which Odoacre takes after a short siege. It is after this victory on August 23, 476 that his troops proclaim him "king" of Italy or of the kingdom of Odoacre. Captured, Orestes was put to death on August 28, exactly one year after his arrival in Ravenna. Odoacre was officially crowned king of Rome on September 4, 476, then it moves then towards Ravenna which defend the brother of Oreste and uncle of the young Romulus Augustulus, the count Paulus, who undergoes the same fate as his brother at the beginning beginning of September. Learning that the city is taken, the young emperor gets rid of his imperial ornaments imperial ornaments and tries to go into hiding. He is brought in front of Odoacre who, moved by his age and his beauty and beauty, not only spares his life, but sends him to live in the domain of Campania where where his family is already.