Lucius Perpetuus Aurelianus Marius Maximus
Roman historian, lived c. 165-230. No connected account of his
life exists, but he is frequently quoted as an authority in the
first half of the "Historia Augusta", and Valesius and Borghesi
have identified him (Fragm. hist. Rom., p. xxv sq.) with the
prefect of the same name, mentioned both in the inscriptions and
by Dion Cassius. According to these he served in the Roman army,
received pr�torian rank at Rome, took part as commander in the
campaigns in Gaul, Belgium, Germany, and Coele-Syria, and was
employed in high offices of administration. During the reign of
the Emperor Septimius Severus (193-211) he was made consul for the
first time shortly after 197, and in 217 Macrinus appointed him
prefect. In the reign of Alexander Severus (222-235) he was, in
223, appointed consul for the second time and governed the
Provinces of Asia and Africa as proconsul, these offices being due
to the special favour of the emperor. Later, Marius Maximus
devoted himself to historical writing and wrote biographies of the
emperors from Nerva (96-98) to Heliogabalus (d. 222). As the
biographies stop with Heliogabalus, although Maximus was
intimately connected with Alexander Severus, it is supposed that
he did not survive the latter emperor during whose reign, it is
thought, his work was probably written. The history of the earlier
emperors is not extant, but it can be inferred from the fragments
preserved that he adopted the method and views of Suetonius of
whose biographies of the emperors his work was a continuation. His
description of the lives and acts of the emperors is influenced by
his friendliness towards the senate. His style is diffuse and
detailed. Often he introduces personal occurrences, and offers
official instruments and records of the senate as documentary
proof. The biographies of Marius Maximus were greatly admired by
his contemporaries and were especially read by the Roman senators.
Some of the biographies were continued and enlarged by other
writers. �lius Junius Cordus wrote supplementary lives of the
usurpers, C�sars, and coadjutor-emperors, up to Alexander Severus.
KARL HOEBER
Transcribed by Ernie Stefanik
From the Catholic Encyclopedia, copyright � 1913 by the
Encyclopedia Press, Inc. Electronic version copyright � 1996 by
New Advent, Inc.
Taken from the New Advent Web Page (www.knight.org/advent).
This article is part of the Catholic Encyclopedia Project, an
effort aimed at placing the entire Catholic Encyclopedia 1913
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