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MAXENTIUS, MARCUS AURELIUS VALERIUS

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Originally appearing in Volume V17, Page 918 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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MAXENTIUS, See also:MARCUS AURELIUS See also:VALERIUS , See also:Roman See also:emperor from A.D. 306 to 312, was the son of See also:Maximianus Herculius, and the son-in-See also:law of See also:Galerius. Owing to his vices and incapacity he was See also:left out of See also:account in the See also:division of the See also:empire which took See also:place in 305. A variety of causes, however, had produced strong dissatisfaction at See also:Rome with many of the arrangements established by See also:Diocletian, and on the 28th of See also:October 306, the public discontent found expression• in the See also:massacre of those magistrates who remained loyal to Flavius Valerius See also:Severus and in the See also:election of Maxentius to the imperial dignity. With the help of his See also:father, Maxentius was enabled to put Severus to See also:death and to repel the invasion of Galerius; his next steps were first to banish Maximianus, and then, after achieving a military success in See also:Africa against the rebellious See also:governor, L. Domitius See also:Alexander, to declare See also:war against See also:Constantine as having brought about the death of his father Maximianus. His intention of carrying the war into See also:Gaul was anticipated by Constantine, who marched into See also:Italy. Maxentius was defeated at Saxa Rubra near Rome and drowned in the See also:Tiber while attempting to make his way across the Milvian See also:bridge into Rome. He was a See also:man of brutal and worthless See also:character; but although See also:Gibbon's statement that he was " just, humane and even partial towards the afflicted Christians " may be exaggerated, it is probable that he never exhibited any See also:special hostility towards them. See De See also:Broglie, L'Eglise et l'empire Romain au quatrieme sacle (1856-1866), and on the attitude of the See also:Romans towards See also:Christianity generally, app. 8 in vol. ii. of J. B.

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Bury's edition of Gibbon (See also:Zosimus ii. 9—18; See also:Zonaras xii. 33, xiii. r; Aurelius See also:Victor, Epit. 40; See also:Eutropius, X. 2).

End of Article: MAXENTIUS, MARCUS AURELIUS VALERIUS

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