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

MAXIMU9. YMAXIMUS. 1001
Dissertationes; in the second of'which (represented foreigners. No reasonable doubt can be: enterby the version of Paccius, the Parisian MS. fol- tained with regard to the period when he flonulowed by Heinsius, and the Harleian MS., one of rished.' The dedication is indeed couched in such
those employed by Davis for hissecond edition) general terms, that the adulation might apply to
he corrected the errors in argument of the first almost any Caesar; but when we find the writer
edition, but' left' uncorrected the numerous errors speaking of himself as removed by two generations
as to historical facts. (Fabric. Bibliothl. Graec. vol. only from M. Antonius the orator (vi. 8. ~ 1),
i. p. 516, vol. iii. p. 77, vol. v. p. 515, &c.; Hein- when we remark the studied abhorrence everysius, Davis, Markland, alii, Praefat. Notae ec. ad where expressed towards Brutus and Cassius (vi.
Opera Mainmni Tyrii. ) [J. C. M.] 4. ~ 5, i. 8. ~ 8), and the eager flattery so lavishly
MA'XMIUS, VALE'RIUS. 1. M'. VALERIUS heaped upon the Julian line, we at once conclude
(VOL USI F.) VOLUSUS MAXIMus, was the first of the that he lived under the first emperors. The deValerian house who bore the surname of Maximus. scription of the reigning prince as one descended
He was a brother of P. Valerius Poplicola, and was from both of the two illustrious censors, Claudius
dictator in B. c. 494, when the dissensions between Nero and Livius Salinator (ix. 2. ~ 6), distinctly
the burghers and commonalty of Rome de Nexis marks out Tiberius; and, this point being fixed,
were at the highest. Valerius was popular with we can determine that the parricide, whose treason
the plebs, and induced them to enlist for the Sabine and destruction form the theme of a gloving invecand Aequian wars, by promising that when the tive (ix. 11. ~ 4), must be the notorious Sejanus.
enemy was repulsed, the condition of the debtors The opinion hazarded by some of the earlier scho(nex/) -should be alleviated. He defeated and lars, that we ought to regard this Valerius Maximus
triumphed over the Sabines; but unable to fulfil as the same person with the consul of that name
his promise to the commons, resigned his dictator- who held office for the first time under Volusianus
ship. The plebs, seeing that Valerius at least had in A. D. 253, and for a second time under Gallienus
kept faith with them, escorted him honourably in A. D. 256, seems to be totally devoid of any
home. As he was advanced in life at the time of foundation, and is directly contradicted not only by
his dictatorship, he probably died soon after. the evidence recited above, but also by the fact
(Dionys. vi. 39-45; Liv. ii. 30, 31; Cic. Brut. that the Valerius Maximus whom we are now con14.) sidering is referred to by the elder Pliny (H. N.
2. M. VALERIUS M. F. VOLUSI N. LACTUCA i. ind. lib. vii.), by Plutarch (Marcell. sub fin.),
MAxIMUS, son of the preceding, was consul in B. c. and by Aulus Gellius (xii. 7), the testimony of
456. He opposed Icilius, tribune of the plebs, in the last especially being quite impregnable. Of
his efforts to assign the Aventine hill to the com- his personal history we know nothing, except the
mons. (Dionys. x. 31-33; Liv. iii. 31.) The solitary circumstance, recorded by himself, that he
cognomen Lactuca, lettuce, a favourite esculent of accompanied, but in what capacity we are not told,
the early Romans (Mart. Ep. x. 14) belongs to the Sex. Pompeius into Asia (ii. 6. ~ 8), the Sextus
same class of surnames as Cicer (Cicero) (Plin. Pompeius apparently who was consul A. D. 14, at
H. 1V. xviii. 3; Plut. Cie. 1) and Stolo in the the time when Augustus died, and who was the
Licinian family. (Varr. R. R. i. 2.) first to render homage to his successor.
3. M. VALERIUS M. F. M. N. LACTUCINUS The subjects treated of are of a character so
MAxIMaUs, was one of the military tribunes, with miscellaneous, that it would be impossible, without
consular power, in B. C. 398 and 395. (Liv. v. 14, transcribing the short notices placed at the head of
24.) each chapter, to convey a clear idea of the contents.
4. M. VALERIUS M. F. M. N. MAXIMUS, was In some books the topics selected for illustration
four times praetor and consul in B. c. 312. His are closely allied to each other, in others no bond
province was Samnium, and it afforded him a of union can be traced. Thus the first book is entriumph, De Samnitibus Soraneisque (Fasti). He tirely devoted to matters connected with sacred
was legatus to the dictator, Papirius Cursor, in rites, and we have a succession of narratives: )e
B. C.308, and censor in s. c. 307, when he ex- Religione Observata, De eligione Neplecta, De lie
tended or improved the roads through the demesne ligione Simnulata, De Religione Peregrina Rejecta,
lands. (Liv. ix. 29, 40, 41, 43.) De Auspiciis, De Ominibus, Be P'rodigiis, iDe
5. M. VALER1US M. F. M. N. MAXIMUS, With Somsniis, De Miraculis; the second book relates
the agnomen CORviNUs, derived from his father, chiefly to certain remarkable civil institutions; the
M. Valerius Corvus, who was five times consul in third, fourth, fifth and sixth, to the more promninent
the Samnite wars. He was consul in B. C. 289 social virtues; but in the seventh the chapters De
(Fasti). From the loss of Livy's second decade, Strategenatis; I)e DRepulsis, are abruptly followed
the history of his consulship is lost. by those De Necessitate, De l'estamentis Rescissis,
6. M. VALEItIUS MAxIMus, with the agnomen De Ratis Testamentis et Insperatis. Upon observing
POTITUS, was consul in B. C. 286. The agitation the symmetry which prevails in some places with
attending the Hortensian laws occupied the consuls the disorder so perceptible in others, we feel
of this year.' (Fast.; Plin. H. N. xvi. ] 0.) strongly disposed to conjecture that particular sec7. M. VALERIUS MAxIMUS, was consul in A. D. tions may have been at one time circulated sepa253, 256. (Fasti.) [W. B. D.] rately, and afterwards collected without due attenMA'XIMUS, VALE'RIUS, to whom the prae- tion being paid to their proper collocation; while at
nomen'Iarcus is -assigned in one of the best MSS., the same time we are impressed with the conviction
and that of Publius in another, is known to us as that a much more suitable and natural disposition
the compiler of a large collection of historical anec- of the different parts might be introduced. In this
dotes, entitled De Factis Dictisque Memorabilibus way something like a general plan would become
Libri IX., arranged under different heads, the say- visible; for without going so far as to assert that
ings and doings of Roman worthies being, more- thev whole ought to be regarded in the light of a
over, kept distinct in each division from those of formal treatise on morality, taught by examples, it