The Eastern Roman Emperor tarries in choosing his successor, so the Germanic elements of the army, represented by the new magister militum and patrician Gundobad (a nephew of Ricimer's), elects Glycerius Emperor on March 3 or 5, 473, in Ravenna.

Gundobad, the son of Gondioc, King of the Burgundians, had succeeded Ricimer in 472, but abdicates after the death of his father in the following year as Gondioc is succeeded by his uncle, Chilperic I.

The Burgundians, whose realm covers much of eastern Gaul and has two capitals, at Lyon and Geneva, rule much of the Rhône valley, but their influence over the empire seems to have ended in 474.

After Glycerius was deposed in favor of Julius Nepos, and Gundobad had returned to Burgundy, presumably at the death of his father Gundioc, the Burgundian kingdom was divided between Gundobad and his brothers, Godigisel, Chilperic II, and Gundomar I.

(Gregory, II, 28) According to Gregory of Tours, the years following Gundobad's return to Burgundy saw a bloody consolidation of power.

Gregory states that Gundobad murdered his brother Chilperic, drowning his wife and exiling their daughters to Godigesel, in Geneva (one of whom was to become the wife of Clovis the Frank, and was reputedly responsible for his conversion).

This is contested by, e.g., Bury, who points out problems in much of Gregory's chronology for the events.