Magnus Maximus facts for kids

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Quick facts for kids Magnus Maximus
Solidus of Magnus Maximus marked: d·n· mag(nus) maximus p·f· aug·
Roman emperor (in the West)
Reign	Spring 383 – 28 August 388
Predecessor	Gratian
Successor	Theodosius I
Co-emperors	Theodosius I (384–388) Valentinian II (384–388) Victor (384–388)

Born	Gallaecia, Hispania
Died	28 August 388 Aquileia, Venetia et Histria, Italia
Spouse	Elen (traditional)
Issue Detail	Victor "Sevira" "Maxima"
Religion	Nicene Christianity

Magnus Maximus (died August 28, 388) was a Roman emperor who ruled the Western Roman Empire from 383 to 388. He took the throne from the previous emperor, Gratian.

Maximus was declared emperor in Britain and Gaul. Gratian's brother, Valentinian II, kept control of Italy, Pannonia, Hispania, and Africa. In 387, Maximus wanted to control more land, so he invaded Italy. This led to his defeat by Theodosius I at the Battle of Poetovio in 388. Some historians believe his death marked the end of direct Roman rule in Northern Gaul and Britain.

Life of Magnus Maximus
Maximus's Role in British and Breton History
Welsh Legends About Macsen Wledig
Later Stories and Culture
Images for kids
See also

Life of Magnus Maximus

Early Years and Army Career

Magnus Maximus was born in Gallaecia, a region in what is now Spain. He was born on the lands of Count Theodosius, a powerful Roman leader. Maximus claimed to be related to Theodosius.

We don't know much about his early life. The first time he is mentioned in history is around 368. He was a junior officer in Britain and helped Theodosius defeat invaders and criminals during a time of trouble called the Great Conspiracy.

Maximus became a respected general over the years. He gained the support of his soldiers and the admiration of the Romano-Britons, who were the Romanized people living in Britain. He even became famous in Welsh legends centuries later. He served under Count Theodosius in Africa in 373. In 380, he was sent to Britain, where he successfully fought off attacks from the Picts and Scots in 381.

Becoming Emperor: A Rebellion

The Western emperor, Gratian, had many foreign soldiers from a group called the Alans in his personal guard. People accused Gratian of favoring these foreign soldiers over Roman citizens. Because of this, in 383, the Roman army was unhappy and declared Maximus their new emperor.

Maximus then traveled to Gaul (modern-day France) to pursue his goal of becoming emperor. He took a large part of the Roman army from Britain with him. After five days of fighting near Paris, he defeated Gratian. Gratian ran away but was killed at Lyon on August 25, 383.

Maximus continued his campaign into Italy. He was stopped from overthrowing Valentinian II, who was only twelve years old, by a strong army led by Bauto. After talks in 384, with help from Ambrose, a bishop from Milan, Maximus was recognized as an Augustus (a senior emperor) in the West. This agreement was made with Valentinian II and Theodosius I.

Running the Empire

Maximus made his main city Augusta Treverorum (now Trier, Germany) in Gaul. He ruled over Britain, Gaul, Spain, and Africa. He created his own coins and issued new laws that reorganized how the provinces in Gaul were governed. Some historians think Maximus might have created the important military office of the Comes Britanniarum in Britain.

Maximus was very strict about religious beliefs. He ordered the execution of a religious leader named Priscillian and six of his followers. They were accused of practicing magic, though the real issue was their religious views. Important church leaders like Saint Ambrose and St. Martin of Tours disagreed with the government getting involved in religious matters. However, the executions still happened. This helped Maximus show he supported the main Christian beliefs and also helped him gain more money by taking over the properties of those he condemned.

Maximus also issued a law in 387/388 that criticized Christians in Rome for burning down a Jewish synagogue. Bishop Ambrose spoke out against this law, saying people were calling the emperor "a Jew" because of it.

Final Battles and Death

In 387, Maximus forced Emperor Valentinian II out of Milan. Valentinian fled to Theodosius I, and together they invaded from the east. Their armies, led by generals like Richomeres, fought against Maximus in July and August of 388.

Maximus was defeated in the Battle of Poetovio and retreated to Aquileia. At the same time, the Franks (a Germanic people) invaded northern Gaul, which further weakened Maximus's position.

Andragathius, one of Maximus's generals who had killed Emperor Gratian, was defeated near Siscia. Maximus's brother, Marcellinus, died in battle at Poetovio. Maximus surrendered in Aquileia. Even though he asked for mercy, he was executed. The Roman Senate then passed a decree to officially erase his memory, meaning they tried to remove all records and honors of him. However, his mother and at least two daughters were spared. Theodosius's trusted general, Arbogast, killed Maximus's son, Victor, in Trier later that year.

What Happened to His Family?

We don't know much about what happened to Maximus's family after he was overthrown. He had a wife who sought advice from St. Martin of Tours while in Trier. Her name and what happened to her are not clearly recorded in history, though Welsh legends give her a name. The same is true for Maximus's mother and daughters, except that Theodosius I spared them.

One of Maximus's daughters might have married Ennodius, a Roman official in Africa around 395. Ennodius's grandson was Petronius Maximus, another emperor who ruled Rome for only 77 days before being killed in 455. Other descendants of Ennodius, and possibly Maximus, included Anicius Olybrius, who was emperor in 472, and several important officials and bishops.

A stone monument in Wales from the 9th century, the Pillar of Eliseg, mentions a daughter of Magnus Maximus named Sevira. It claims she married Vortigern, a king of the Britons.

Maximus's Role in British and Breton History

Maximus's attempt to become emperor in 383 is linked to the last time we find evidence of a Roman military presence in certain parts of Britain, like the western Pennines and the fortress of Deva. However, coins from after 383 have been found along Hadrian's Wall, suggesting that not all troops left the area.

In a book written around 540, Gildas says that Maximus "took away" from Britain not only its Roman troops but also its "armed groups...governors and the best of her young men," and they never returned.

Since Maximus left with troops and officials, and planned to continue ruling Britain, he likely gave local power to local leaders. Welsh legends support this idea. Stories like Breuddwyd Macsen Wledig (English: The Dream of Emperor Maximus) say that he married a wonderful British woman. This story also says he gave her father control over Britain, formally transferring power from Rome back to the Britons themselves.

The oldest Welsh family trees show Maximus (called Macsen/Maxen Wledig, or Emperor Maximus) as the founding father of several medieval Welsh kingdoms, including Powys and Gwent. He is named as an ancestor of a Welsh king on the Pillar of Eliseg, a stone set up almost 500 years after he left Britain. He also appears in lists of the Fifteen Tribes of Wales.

After becoming emperor of the West, Maximus returned to Britain to fight against the Picts and Scots (Irish). He probably did this to support Rome's allies, the Damnonii, Votadini, and Novantae, who lived in modern Scotland. While there, he likely made similar arrangements to formally transfer power to local chiefs. Later rulers of Galloway, where the Novantae lived, claimed Maximus as the founder of their family line, just like the Welsh kings did.

Modern historians believe that the idea of many British troops settling in Brittany (a region in France) because of Maximus might be true. This matches archaeological findings and later Breton traditions.

Armorica (a region that includes Brittany) declared independence from the Roman Empire in 407. However, it still provided archers to help Aetius defend against Attila the Hun. Its king, Riothamus, was later mentioned as an ally of Rome against the Goths. Even with two different languages, Breton and Gallo, and invasions by Franks and Vikings, Armorica kept its culture strong until the 13th century.

Maximus also set up a military base in his home region of Gallaecia (now Galicia (Spain)). This area remained a distinct cultural place even after the Suebi took it over in 409.

Welsh Legends About Macsen Wledig

Stories about Maximus, where he marries the Welsh princess Elen, likely became popular in Welsh-speaking areas long ago. While the story of Helen and Maximus meeting is probably not true, some parts of the legends might be based on facts. He is clearly important in the earliest versions of the Welsh Triads, which are believed to be from around 1100 and reflect older traditions. Welsh poetry often compares later Welsh leaders to Macsen. These legends come to us in two main versions.

Geoffrey of Monmouth's Story

Illustration from a 14th-century Welsh manuscript thought to show Magnus Maximus.

According to Geoffrey of Monmouth's book Historia Regum Britanniae (written around 1136), which is the source for many English and Welsh legends, Maximianus (as Geoffrey calls him) was a Roman senator. He became king of the Britons after the death of Octavius. Geoffrey says this happened because Octavius wanted his daughter to marry a powerful half-Roman, half-Briton man and give him the kingship of Britain as a wedding gift. So, he sent a message to Rome offering his daughter to Maximian.

Caradocus, a Duke from Cornwall, suggested and supported the marriage. Maximian accepted and left Rome for Britain. Geoffrey claims Maximian gathered an army and attacked Frankish towns on his way. He accidentally invaded Clausentum (modern Southampton) and almost fought the British army led by Conan Meriadoc before they agreed to a truce. After more talks, Maximian was given the kingship of Britain, and Octavius retired.

Five years into his rule, Magnus Maximus gathered a huge fleet and invaded Gaul, leaving Britain under the control of Caradocus. When he reached the kingdom of Armorica, he defeated the king and killed many people. Before going to Rome, he called Conanus, Octavius's rebellious nephew, and asked him to rule the land, which was renamed Brittany. Conan's men married local women after cutting out their tongues to keep their language pure. Geoffrey of Monmouth uses this legend to explain the Welsh name for Brittany, Llydaw, which means "half-silent." This story is likely connected to an older tradition, as Conan was already known in family trees as the founder of Brittany.

After Caradocus died, rule of Britain passed to Dionotus. When Dionotus faced a foreign invasion, he asked Maximus for help. Maximus sent a man named Gracianus Municeps with two legions to stop the attack. Gracianus killed many invaders before they fled to Ireland. Maximus died in Rome soon after, and Dionotus became the official king of the Britons. However, before Dionotus could begin his reign, Gracianus took the crown and made himself king.

While Geoffrey's story is mostly positive about Maximian, it ends with barbarian invaders succeeding. It sadly mentions, "Alas for the absence of so many warlike soldiers through the madness of Maximianus!"

The Dream of Macsen Wledig

The story The Dream of Macsen Wledig is found in later writings than Geoffrey's version. However, the two stories are so different that experts believe the Dream is not just based on Geoffrey's account. The Dream's story also seems to fit better with details in the Triads, suggesting it might come from an older tradition.

Macsen Wledig, the Emperor of Rome, dreams one night of a beautiful maiden in a wonderful, faraway land. When he wakes up, he sends his men all over the world to find her. With much difficulty, they find her in a rich castle in Wales. She is the daughter of a chieftain based at Segontium (Caernarfon). The men lead the Emperor to her. Everything he finds is exactly as it was in his dream. The maiden, whose name is Helen or Elen, accepts and loves him. Because Elen is found to be a virgin, Macsen gives her father control over the island of Britain and orders three castles to be built for his bride.

While Macsen is away, a new emperor takes power and warns him not to return. With the help of men from Britain led by Elen's brother Conanus (Welsh: Cynan Meriadoc, Breton: Conan Meriadeg), Macsen marches across Gaul and Italy and takes Rome back. To thank his British allies, Macsen rewards them with a part of Gaul that becomes known as Brittany.

The legend says that his love, Helen (Elen), was traveling along the Roman roads in a valley in Snowdonia when she received sad news about her husband. Near a well, she knelt down and cried, "croes awr i mi yw hon," which means "a cross hour for me is this." She then lay down and died. The village was named Croesor, a Snowdonian village nestled in the mountains. This is why the village was called Croesor.

Later Stories and Culture

Because Macsen is so important in history, Welsh legend, and the Matter of Britain (the legends surrounding King Arthur), he often appears as a character or is mentioned in historical and Arthurian stories. These include Stephen R. Lawhead's Pendragon Cycle, Mary Stewart's The Hollow Hills, Jack Whyte's Camulod Chronicles, M J Trow's Britannia series, Nancy McKenzie's Queen of Camelot, and Rudyard Kipling's Puck of Pook's Hill. The popular Welsh folk song Yma o Hyd, recorded by Dafydd Iwan in 1981, remembers Macsen Wledig and celebrates the continued survival of the Welsh people since his time.

Images for kids

A gold coin showing Magnus Maximus.
An illustration from a 14th-century Welsh book, thought to show Magnus Maximus.