Machine translation of the 1948–1954 Italian original. The original text is authoritative.
MASSIMO (Magnus Maximus), ROMAN EMPEROR. — Born into a humble Spanish family, he enlisted in the army and was appointed by Graziano to command the troops in Britannia. There, in 383, he was acclaimed emperor.
He then went to Gaul, while Graziano, fleeing before the usurper, was killed at Lugdunum. For the moment he was recognized by Valentiniano II and Teodosio, and through the intervention of s. Ambrogio an agreement was reached with
(courtesy of Fr. G. Massaruti)whom M. was left in control of Spain, Gaul, and Britannia. In 387 M. came to Italy and occupied Milan; Valentiniano, together with his mother Giustina, took refuge with Teodosio. The latter, now seeing the danger that threatened, marched against the usurper, who was defeated and killed near Aquileia in August 388. As regards Christianity, M., for political advantage, presented himself as a zealous protector of orthodoxy, having the Priscillianists condemned (v. PRISCILLIANESIMO) and persecuting the Arians; but neither s. Ambrogio nor Pope Siricio was willing to approve his truly factional and brutal conduct.
BIBL.: W. Ensslin, s. V. in Pauly-Wissowa, XIV, cols. 2546–2555; A. De Broglie, S. Ambrogio, Rome 1906, pp. 63–68, 99–115; Fliche-Martin-Frutz, III, pp. 394 ff., 475 ff., 516–18; R. Paribeni, Da Diocleziano alla caduta dell'Impero d'Occidente, Bologna 1941, pp. 171–73.
Cite this article
“MASSIMO (MAGNUS MAXIMUS), IMPERATORE ROMANO.” Enciclopedia Cattolica, vol. VIII (1952), p. 209. Azione Romana digital edition, https://azioneromana.com/article/massimo-magnus-maximus-imperatore-romano.
