Ovida

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Ovida (? - December 9, 480) was a general during the late Western Roman Empire and the last Roman ruler of Dalmatia.

Following Flavius Orestes's coup against 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 legionnaires. 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 barbarians. 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 25 years and had no great desire to jeopardize that by provoking Odoacer. In spring 480 Nepos was assassinated, possibly by disgruntled soldiers seeking to forestall his attack, but more likely by agents of Glycerius, who preceded Nepos as Western Roman Emperor and who thoroughly loathed him. Ovida was left in charge of the Dalmatian legions.

Nepos was supported by Eastern Roman Emperor Zeno, to 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.

Preceded by Julius Nepos

Roman ruler of Dalmatia

Succeeded by Dalmatia annexed in Odoacer's state