MAXIMILIANUS of Carthage. — Author of a schism within Donatism (v.), in which he was a deacon, at Carthage.
In dissent with his bishop Primianus, and condemned by him, he stirred up others against him; some 43 of these assembled at Carthage and condemned Primianus. This sentence was confirmed by another council of more than 100 bishops at Cebrussis. After Primianus was deposed, M. had himself ordained in his place, but a council of 310 bishops at Bagai (April 348) absolved Primianus, condemning instead M. and the twelve who had ordained him, and giving the others a term to return to the unity of the sect. The Primianists then had recourse to the authorities to secure the handing over of the churches from the Maximianists (M. himself was deprived of a house in Carthage), who were strongest especially in Byzacena and in Tripolitania.
Some resisted and were persecuted, such as Salvio of Membresca. Two, Felician of Musti and Pretestatus of Assuras, were forced to yield to the violence of Ottatus of Thamugadi, but were later reinstated, despite the fact that a Rogatus had already been ordained in place of the latter (who later became a Catholic and was mutilated of his tongue and a hand). Augustine, from whom we have these details, made skilful use of the origin of this schism, the fact that the Primianists did not hesitate to appeal to the authorities, and that they did not contest the validity of the baptism conferred by the “Maximianists,” to reproach the Donatists with the contradiction between what they reproached in the Catholics and their own conduct towards these other dissidents.