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

980 MAXENTIUS. MAXENTIUS.
returned to -Rome, there to celebrate a flagltioius reign of the Byzantine emperor, Justin I., who sul1
triumph, and to indulge the worst passions of a ceeded Anastasius A. D. 518, certain "Scythian
depraved nature,'at the expense of the citizens. monks," as their contemporaries term them, who
Elated by these successes, Maxentius now openly appear to have come from the bishopric of Tomi
aspired to dominion over all the Western provinces; and the adjacent bishoprics near the south bank of
and having first insulted and then declared open the Danube, made a great stir at Constantinople,
war against Constantine, assuming, as a pretext, by contending for the propriety of the expression
the conduct of the latter towards Maximianus, he " Unus e Trinitate in carne crucifixus est." This
prepared to.pass into Gaul with an army numbering mode of expression was suspected of covering the
not less than two hundred thousand men. But his Monophysite or Eutychian heresy [EUTYCHES];
schemes were -frustrated by the prudent boldness and the formula " Una Persona e Trinitate" was
of: his adversary, who, encouraged by an embassy regarded as more orthodox. Here was sufficient
despatched from Rome imploring relief from the cause in that age of logomachy for bitter controoppression of the despot, determined at once to versy. Maxentius appeared in Constantinople on
cross the Alps.- The events of this campaign are the side of the " Scythians;" but whether he
detailed elsewhere [CONSTANTINUS, p. 834]. *The was one of them is questionable: he was, or
forces of the tyrant, shattered by the defeats of claimed to be, of the monastic profession, and styled
Turin and Verona, retired upon Rome; the deci- himself abbot; but from what place he came is very
sive battle was fought at Saxa Rubra, not far from doubtful. The Magdeburgh Centuriators and Posthe storied stream of the Cremera; the imperial sevino absurdly identify him with Maxentius, an
army, cut off from retreat, were driven by thou- abbot'of Poitou, in France; and Usher, followed
sands into the Tiber;- the Milvian bridge broke by Cave, misunderstanding an expression in one of
beneath the fugitives at the verymoment when Max- Maxentius' works, makes him a monk and presentius was forcing his way through the throngwhich byter of Antioch. Some have confounded him
choked up the -passage, and borne down by the with the Joannes of Antioch mentioned by Gennaweight. of his armour, he perished miserably in the dius (de Viris Illustr. c. 93). From whatever quarter
stream on the 28th of October, 312, exactly six he came, he entered warmly into the contest, which
years from the day on which he was saluted em- was further inflamed by the addition of the conperor.;'' troversy about divine grace, revived in the East by
All historians agree in representing this prince the diffusion of the Semi-Pelagian writings of
as a monster of rapacity, cruelty, and lust. The Faustus of Riez [FAUSTUS REIENSIS]. Maxentius
only favoured class was the military, upon whom became the leader of the Scythians, and presented
he depended for safety; and in order to secure their on their part and his own a confession of faith to
devotion and to gratify his own evil passions, every the legates of pope Hormisdas, who were at Conother portion of his subjects were made the victims of stantinople on other matters. This confession was
the most revolting licentiousness, and ruined by the designed to vindicate them from the suspicion or
most grinding exactions. Various statements have charge of Eutychianisln, and to obtain the sanction
been put forth with regard to his conduct towards of the legates to the favourite expression " Ullus e
the Christians, since by some he is commended for Trinitate," &c. Failing in this, four of the monks,
the solitary virtue of tolerance, while by others he of whom it is questioned whether Maxentius was
is numbered among the most cruel persecutors. one, were despatched to Rome, to try what could
The truth seems to be, that neither of these repre- be done with the pope himself. But though they
sentations is accurate. The Christians suffered in strained every nerve, they could effect nothing;
common with all who had the misfortune to own and after a stay of a year'or more they returned
his sway; but while there is no reason to believe to Constantinople; shortly after which Hormisdas,
that they received any encouragement or patronage, in a letter to Possessor, an African bishop then in.
so, on the other hand, there is no evidence to prove exile at Constantinople, branded them as deceivers
that they were at any time the objects of special and men of the worst character. To this letter
hostility.. (Zosim. ii. 9-18; Zonar. xii. 33, xiii. Maxentius published a reply; and in order to have!; Panegyr. Vet. ix. 2, 3, 11-25, x. 6, 7, &c., more liberty to assail it, chose to regard it as not
27, &c., xi. 16; Auctor. de Mort. Persecut. cc. 26, genuine. Nothing further of Maxentius's history
28, 44; Euseb. II. E. viii. 14, Vit. Const. i. 26, is known.
33, &c.; Fragments published by Valesius at the His works are extant only in a Latin version,
end of his edition of Ammianus Marcellinus; Vic- and have been published in various collections of
tor, de Caes. 40, Epsit. 40; Eutrop. x. 2.) [W. R.] the fathers. They first appeared in the Orthodoxrog- aphla, fol. Basel, 1.5.5. In the Maxiina Biblioth.
Patrumn, fol. Lyon, 1677, vol. ix. p. 533, &c., they
appear in the following order:-1. Joannis Max-0/ ~ 1 - t x I @btdenztii Confessio suae Fidel, s. de C]lristo Piofessio,
lum with a prethtory letter to the legates of the Holy
OOO-AI i- (X ~ss All \ //7 15 S}See. This appears to. be the confession already
noticed. 2. Ejusdemn contra Nestorianos Capitula:
these appear to have been published by the delegates
of the Scythian monks at Rome, and consist of
twelve brief anathemas against various dogmas.
COIN OF MAXENTIUS. 3. Ejusdem alia Fidei Professio: shorter than
MAXE'NTIUS, JOANNES, whom Cave, ap- No. 1. It is not known on what occasion it was
parently without just ground, identifies with composed. 4. Ejusdema Adunationis Verbi Dei ad
JOANNES SCYTHOPOLITANUS ('ICdavV7Ss d:2vco- propriam Carnem Ratio. This is followedby the
7roAfT'qs) [JOANNES, NO. Il 1.], lived in the early letter of I-Iormisdas to Possessor, alreadv noticed
part of the sixth century. In the beginning of the and then 5. Maxentius' reply, Joannis MIc'oenatit