MAXIMUS. - Cynic philosopher of the 4th century. Born in Alexandria to a humble family, he embraced Christianity from a young age and made a profession of being a philosopher. Ignorant, avaricious and turbulent, he wandered from city to city to procure his livelihood. His bad conduct earned him exiles and condemnations, which he later passed off as sufferings for the faith.

In this way he succeeded in deceiving many and even St. Gregory Nazianzen, who counted him among his friends and made a public eulogy of him. Through scheming, intrigues and money, and with the support of the bishop of Alexandria, he managed to have himself consecrated bishop of Constantinople, but he was driven out of the city, reproved by the emperor Theodosius, by Pope Damasus and deposed by the Council of Constantinople (381). He returned to Alexandria, but since he disturbed that Church he was driven into exile. He came to Italy and again succeeded in deceiving the good faith of the Fathers of the Council of Aquileia (381) and of St. Ambrose himself; but then, once his misdeeds were discovered, he was definitively abandoned.

Bibliography7 works

BIBL.: S. Gregorio Nazianzeno, Oratio XXV; id., De vita sua, vv. 745-1029; S. Ambrogio, Epp. 13-14; Sozomeno, Hist. eccl., VII, 9; Teodoreto, Hist. eccl., V, 8; Tillemont, IX, pp. 443-48, 455 ff., 501-503, 713 ff.; X, pp. 145 ff., 150 ff., 742 ff.

@incollection{ec8_massimo, author = {Redazione}, title = {Massimo}, booktitle = {Enciclopedia Cattolica}, volume = {VIII}, pages = {303--306}, note = {Cited by column}, publisher = {Ente per l’Enciclopedia Cattolica e per il Libro Cattolico}, address = {Città del Vaticano}, year = {1952}, url = {https://azioneromana.com/article/massimo} }

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Maximus the Cynic

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