Maxentius, Roman Emperor

MAXENTIUS (Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius), Roman Emperor. - He reigned from 28 Oct. 306 to 28 Oct. 312. Son of Maximian, when the latter had to abdicate together with Diocletian in 305, he remained a private citizen. But when the troops of Gaul and Britain proclaimed Constantine emperor and Galerius, the sole Augustus, recognized him as Caesar, Maxentius, and perhaps even more than he the praetorian cohorts of Rome, took courage and Maxentius was hailed emperor.

The danger that soldiers' violence might multiply, and the fact that an emperor in Rome aroused more concern than one in Gaul, decided Galerius to act. The Caesar Severus was charged with marching on Rome and putting an end to the usurpation. Maxentius thought that the best protection for him would be the person of his father, and Maximian, who had reluctantly laid down the purple, consented to take it up again. The soldiers of Flavius Severus did not feel able to fight against their former Emperor and deserted in such great numbers that Severus had to flee and shut himself up in Ravenna; where he then surrendered to Maximian, and was held prisoner near Rome. Maxentius then assumed the title of Augustus without further ado. Galerius could not remain under the shame of such a defeat, and he himself moved against M., but with no better fortune than Severus, who before the well-prepared defense of Rome had to retreat.

But since Diocletian, at the Conference of Carnuntum in 308, had forced Maximian to abdicate once again, and had caused Galerius and Licinius to be recognized as Augusti, and Maximian Daia and Constantine as Caesars, M. was no longer anything but a rebel, a usurper to be eliminated. It seems that the punishment was to come from the unreliable moods of the African troops, who proclaimed as emperor L. Domitius Alexander, vicar of the praefectus praetorio of Africa, and also from the enterprise of Constantine, who brought his troops from Gaul into Spain. The loss of Africa and Spain meant famine in Rome, and M. had to make up his mind to act. He sent to Africa his own prefect Ceionius Rufius Volusianus, who found no difficulty in defeating and killing Domitius Alexander. But foolish was the ruthless ferocity with which Africa was punished. Galerius had meanwhile died (311), and relations between M. and Constantine had become ever worse. It is not very clear what was the occasion for the opening of hostilities; it would seem, however, that the initiative was Constantine's, who descended rapidly into Italy and easily defeated both the small Maxentian detachments in Piedmont and a more powerful body of forces at Verona. M., who had never shown military qualities, had thought to keep himself shut up within Rome, then well fortified with walls and abundantly supplied with provisions. But at the last moment he left the city and went to meet Constantine. The clash occurred at Saxa Rubra on the Via Flaminia, a short distance from the pons Milvius, despite the strenuous defense of the praetorians, who thus ended their turbulent existence with honor. M. was defeated, and in flight drowned in the Tiber.

The whole pagan and Christian tradition is hostile to M., and depicts him as a very bad and a despicable tyrant. Thus it usually happens to the vanquished, but not only that: the standard that Constantine gave to his soldiers made the engagement be regarded as a great Christian victory over M., certainly a pagan to the last, but not a persecutor.

It is not possible to recognize great qualities in M., but the solemn sense of grandeur that he gave to his constructions in Rome, the most efficient care he took for the great roads of Italy and Africa, the affection he showed for his own son Romulus, who died at a young age, make him appear in at least some respects better than his reputation.

Roberto Paribeni