A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

MAXIMUS. 99AXIM7. 97
cognised by Theodosius and Valentinian as Augus- at' the same'time:as his pursueirs.''The troops of
tus and sole emperor in Gaul, Spain, and Britain, Theodosius immediately stormed the: city, and with
while the new emperor in his turn promised not to such energy that they took'it at once, and seized
molest Valentinian in the possession of Italy and Maximus, it is said, while seated on his throne.
Illyricum, which he had held already in the time Theodosius was waiting the issue at his head-quarof his brother Gratian. ters, three miles from Aquileia. Thither Maximus
Nothing now prevented Maximus from enjoying was carried, loaded with chains. With a sternhis power, and promoting the happiness of his sub- yet calm.voice Theodosius reproached him for his
jects, but two circumstances, each of which was rebellion against Gratian and unbounded ambition,:
sufficient to foretell a future commotion. The and then gave orders for his decapitation, which
professed friendship of Theodosius was not real, took place on the same day (27th or 28th of
and -the unparalleled success of Maximus swelled August, 388). Victor, the son of Maximus, being
his ambition so much that -he stepped beyond those then engaged'in Gaul against the Franks, Arbolimits of wisdom within which he ought to have gastes marched against him with a strong force..
kept his future plans. Italy was governed by a Victor was defeated and taken prisoner, and shared
feeble youth, but who might become dangerous the fate of his father. Andragathus, the comwhen a man, unless he forgot that he was the mander of the fleet'of Maximus, upon hearing of
brother of a murdered emperor. The possession of the death of his master, threw himself in a fit of
Italy was therefore the great object at which despair into the sea and was drowned. Theodosius
Maximus aimed; and the revenues of his vast do- was merciful and generous towards the mother and
minions were exhausted to form an army, the con- sisters of his fallen rival; but he nullified all the
tingents of which were raised among the most war- laws issued by Maximus.' Valentinian nominally
like barbarians of the time. Yet less confident in succeeded Maximus in the possession of Italy and
arms than in'intrigues, Maximus prevailed upon'the country beyond the Alps, but the real emperor
the'ministers of young Valentinian to accept from was Theodosius. (Zosim. iv. p. 247, &c. ed. Oxon.
him auxiliaries for an. intended war in Pannonia; 1679, 8vo.; Sozomen. vii. 12, &c.; Oros. vii. 34,
and, although his motives were seen through by St. &c.; Socrates, IS. E. v. 1 1, &c.; Rufin. ii. 14-17;
Ambrose and the other councillors of Valentinian, Greg. Turon. Hist. Franc. i. 43; Ambros. Enarthe forces of Maximus were allowed to cross the ratio in Psalm. LXI. (in the first vol. of his works,
passes of the Alps (387). In their rear followed p. 961), Epistol. XXIV. in vol. ii. p. 888, ep. 40,
Maximus with his main army, and while the in- p. 952, &c., De Obitu Valentin. ibid. p. 1182, in the
habitants of Milan, where, the imperial court of Benedictine ed.; Sulpic. Sever. Vita B. M[artini,
Italy then resided, expected to welcome allies, they c. 23, Dialog. ii. 7, iii. 15; Pacatus, Panegyric.
and their master were'terrified by the sudden and T]leodosii, in "Panegyr. Vet." xii.; Prosper,
unaccountable appearance of a hostile army under Cliron.; Marcellin. Citron.; Theoph. p. 57, &c. ed.
their walls. Flight was the only means of safety Paris.) [W. P.]
for Valentinian. Without loss of time he escaped
with his mother Justina to Aquileia, and thence by
sea to Thessalonica, whence- he despatched messengers to Constantinople to apprise Theodosius of -
his fate. Maximus entered Milan in triumph, and
Rome and the rest of Italy soon submitted to him
almost without a'struggle.
The alarm of Theodosius at hearing at once of
the loss of Italy, the. disgrace of a weak yet. beloved colleague, and the triumph of a hated rival,
may be easily imagined. Instead of inviting Valentinian to proceed to Constantinople, he hastened, MA'XIMUS, CN. MA/LLI'US, was consul in
without losing any time, to Salonica, accompanied B. C. 105, when' he carried his election against Q.
by his principal ministers, and then, with the fugi- Catulus [CATULUS, No. 5]. Cicero represents
tive emperor and his mother Justina, concerted Mallius as an utterly worthless man. (Pro Plane.
measures to check. the threatening course of the 5, pro Ml[uraen. 36.) Mallius obtained Transalpine
British conqueror. His love -for Valentinian's Gaul for his province, and, principally through dissister Galla added wings to his resolution: in the sensions with his colleague, the proconsul Q. Sermidst of his preparations for bloodshed and war he vilius Caepio [CAEPIO, S:RVILIUS, No. 7], he was
married that beautiful princess, and then set out utterly defeated by the Boian Gauls. His two sons
to encounter the legions of Gaul. Maximus, mean- perished in the action, and on his return to Rome
while, prepared for' resistance by sea and land. he was impeached, and defended by M. Antonius,
Andragathus covered the coast of Italy with a the orator. (Sall. B. J. 114; Liv. Epit. 67; Cic.
powerful fleet, and the emperor concentrated his de Orat. 28.) [W. B. D.]
troops near Aquileia, despatching his van into MA'XIM'US, MA'RIUS, is repeatedly cited
Noricum and Pannonia, in order to receive Theo- as a weighty authority by the Augustan historians.
dosius in that quarter if he should choose to come He appears to have'written at great length the
by. land.: Theodosius did come by land, and in biographies of the Roman emperors, beginning with
the'first. engagement'at Siscia, on the Save, the Trajan and ending with Elagabalus, and very proWestern troops were completely defeated: they bably, as Casaubon conjectures, flourished under
suffered a second defeat, being then commanded Alexander Severus. He is named with great reby Marcellinus, the brother of Maximus; and now spect by Ammianus Marcellinus, but is termed
Theodosius broke through the Noric. Alps into by Vopiscus (Firm. c. 1) "homo omnium verboItaly. Maximus, flying before him,- took refuge sissimus qui et mythistoricis se voluminibus impliwithin the walls of Aquileia, arriving there nearly cavit." (See Spartian. Hadrian, 2, Casaubon's
3s 3