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

MAXIMINUS. MAXIMINtJS. 985
medals, appear quite irresistible. From these it fought near Heracleia, he fled first to Nicomedeia
appears certain that the death of Alexander Severus and thence to Tarsus, where he soon after died
happened not later than the beginning of July, according to some accounts of despair, according to
A. D. 235; that Maximinus betook himself to Sir- others by poison., His wife and children were
mium, after his successful campaign against the murdered, and every imaginable insult heaped upon
Germans, towards the close of A. D. 237; that the his memory by the conqueror.
elevation of the Gordians in Africa took place about The great military talents of Herculius, Galerius,
the commencement of March, A. D. 238, and their and Licinius, served in-some degree, if not to paldeath about six weeks afterwards; that Maxi- liate, at least to divert attention from, their vices
minus set out upon his march for Rome early in and their crimes. But not one quality, either
April, sat down before Aquileia towards the end of noble or dazzling, relieves the coarse brutality of
the month, and was slain, in all probability'about Maximin, who surpassed all his contemporaries in
the middle of May. the profligacy of his private life, in the general
The names C. Julius Verus, together with the cruelty of his administration, and in the furious
titles Dacicus afximmus and Sarnzaticus Maximus, hatred with which he persecuted the Christians.
appear in inscriptions only; medals at first exhibit His elevation, which was the result of family inthe simple Jl1aximinus, to which Germanicus is fluence alone, must have been as unexpected by
added in those struck during a. D. 236, and the himself as by others; but he did not prove by any
following years. (Capitolin. Mluaaimin. duo; Hero- means such a passive and subservient tool as was
dian. lib. vii. viii.; Zonar. xii. 16.) [ALEXANDER anticipated. His extravagant vanity, for we can
SEVERUS; GORDIANUS'; BALBINUS; QUARTI- scarcely dignify the feeling by the name of amNUS; CRISPINUS; MENOPHILUS.] [W. R.] bition, was for a while gratified, because Galerius
felt unwilling to engage in a civil war with the
creature of his own hands; but the arrogance engendered by this success in all probability prompted
him to the unprovoked aggression which proved his
/.~i-%O~ ~c ruin. (Zosim. ii. 8; Victor, Epit. 40; Oros. vii.
25; Auctor. de Mort. Persec. 5, 32, 36, 38, 45,
&c.; Euseb. H. E. viii. 14, ix. 2, &c.; Eckhel,
vol. viii. p. 51.) [W. R.]
COIN OF MAXIMINUS I,
MAXIMI'NUS II., Roman emperor 305314. GALERIUS VALERIUS MAXIMINUS, who
originally bore the name of DAZA, was the nephew
of Galerius by a sister, and in early life followed
the occupation of a shepherd in his native Illyria.
Having forsaken this humble calling for the life of
a soldier, by force of interest rather than of any
conspicuous merit, he rose to the highest rank in
the service, and upon the abdication of l)iocletian COIN OF MAXIMINUS In.
at Nicomedeia in A. D. 305 [DIOCLETIANUS, P.
1013], although altogether undistinguished, and MAXIMI'NUS, the excellent ambassador of
indeed unknown, was adopted by the new emperor Theodosius the Younger to Attila in A. D. 448.
of the East, received the title of Jovius, was elevated He was already conspicuous in the Persian war in
to the rank of Caesar, and was nominated to the- 422, when he was lieutenant of Ardaburius. Theogovernment of Syria and Egypt. Little grateful dosius sent him in 448 to Attila; Orestes and
for these extraordinary and most undeserved marks Edicon, the Hunnic ambassadors at Constantinople,
of favour, he displayed violent indignation upon returned with him to Pannonia. This Edicon had
being passed over in the arrangements which fol- been bribed by the minister, Chrysaphius, to
lowed the death of Constantius Chlorus in A. D. murder Attila, but on his arrival in Pannonia in'307, when Licinius was created Augustus. [LI- formed his master of the plot, of which Maximin
CINIUS; GALERIUS MAXIMIANUS.] Far from being was totally ignorant. Attila was well aware of
satisfied by the concession of Galerius, who in- this, and consequently turned his' resentment- only.vented the new title of Fiii Augusoibum to super- against the emperor and the minister at Constantisede the appellation of Caesars, he assumed without nople, disdaining even to punish Vigilius, who was
permission the highest imperial designation, and the entire promoter of the scheme, and who was
with much difficulty succeeded in wringing a re- entrapped in his turn by Attila. This embassy of
luctant acquiescence from his uncle. Upon the Maximin is described by his secretary, Priscus, to
death of the'latter,.in 311, he entered into a con- whom we refer for the interesting details of an
vention with Licinius, in terms of which he received event to which we are indebted for nearly all our
the provinces of Asia: Minor in' addition to his knowledge of Attila's -person' and private life.
former dominion, the Hellespont and the Bosporus Maximin became afterwards one of the' four prinforming the common boundary of the two sove- cipal ministers of the emperor Marcian; and in
reignties; but having treacherously taken advantage later years held the supreme command. in Egypt,
of the absence of his neighbour, who had repaired whence he made a successful campaign against the
to Milan. in 313 for the purpose of receiving in Aethiopians. He is invariably represented as a
marriage the sister of Constantine, he suddenly virtuous, firm, and highly talented man. (Priscus,
invaded Thrace,and surprised Byzantium. Having, p. 39, 40, 48-70; Socrat. Hist. Eccles., vii. 20;
however, been signally defeated in a great battle PRIscvs.) [W. P.]