Individual Details
Flavius Anicius Pretonius Maximus Emperor of Rome
(396 - 27 May 455)
Anicius Petronius Maximus Caesar, Consul of Rome (433, 443 CE), Praetorian Praefect of Italy (439 CE), Patrician (445 CE), and Emperor of Rome (455 CE). He seized power after the death of Valentinian III, and married Valentinian's widow Eudoxia against her will. She invited the Vandal king Gaiseric to come to her rescue. He did, looting the city of Rome. After a reign of 77 days, Maximus was torn to pieces and thrown into the Tiber river by palace slaves. He was succeeded by Avitus. There has been some speculation that Petronius Maximus might have been a descendant of Magnus Maximus.
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PETRONIUS MAXIMUS (-murdered 27 May 455).
Theophanes names "Maximus Maximi nepos" when recording that he murdered Emperor Valentinian. A member of the Roman Anicii family. Iordanes records that Maximus murdered Emperor Valentinian after invading the empire.
He succeeded in 455 as Emperor PETRONIUS MAXIMUS, Emperor in the West. After his accession, he forced his predecessor's widow to marry him, and her daughter Eudoxia to marry his son, triggering the invasion by Genseric King of the Vandals to whom the younger Eudoxia had been promised in marriage for his son.
He was killed by the Romans after he attempted to flee, although the primary sources on which this is based have not yet been identified.
The first wife of Petronius Maximus was lured to the palace of Emperor Valentinian III who raped her, although the primary source on which this is based has not yet been identified.
m secondly ([Mar] 455) as her second husband, EUDOXIA, widow of Emperor VALENTINIAN III, daughter of Emperor THEODOSIUS II, Emperor in the East & his wife Eudoxia (422-after 462).
After the murder of her first husband, she was forced to marry his successor, but was captured during the Vandal invasion and taken to north Africa with her two daughters. Ioannes Malalas records the marriage of "Eudoxia Augusta, Valentiniani Regis vidua" and "Maximo Tyranno".
Emperor Petronius Maximus & his first (unknown) wife had one child:
i) PALADIUS (-[murdered May 455]).
The Chronicon of Bishop Idatius records that Maximus installed “filio suo ex priore coniuge Palladio” as cæsar in 455. It is assumed that he was killed at the same time as his father.
m ([Apr] 455) as her first husband, EUDOXIA, daughter of Emperor VALENTINIAN III, Emperor in the West & his wife Eudoxia . The Chronicon of Bishop Idatius records that Maximus arranged the marriage of “filio suo ex priore coniuge Palladio” and “Valentiniani filiam” in 455. After the death of her father, his successor forced Eudoxia to marry his son, but she was captured by Genseric King of the Vandals during his attack on Rome and taken back to north Africa with her mother and sister. The primary source which records her first marriage has not so far been identified. She married secondly as his second wife, Huneric. The Victoris Tonnennensis Epsicopi Chronicon records that "Hugnericus" married "Valentiniani filiam" who had been abducted from Rome in captivity.
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PETRONIUS MAXIMUS (-murdered 27 May 455).
Theophanes names "Maximus Maximi nepos" when recording that he murdered Emperor Valentinian. A member of the Roman Anicii family. Iordanes records that Maximus murdered Emperor Valentinian after invading the empire.
He succeeded in 455 as Emperor PETRONIUS MAXIMUS, Emperor in the West. After his accession, he forced his predecessor's widow to marry him, and her daughter Eudoxia to marry his son, triggering the invasion by Genseric King of the Vandals to whom the younger Eudoxia had been promised in marriage for his son.
He was killed by the Romans after he attempted to flee, although the primary sources on which this is based have not yet been identified.
The first wife of Petronius Maximus was lured to the palace of Emperor Valentinian III who raped her, although the primary source on which this is based has not yet been identified.
m secondly ([Mar] 455) as her second husband, EUDOXIA, widow of Emperor VALENTINIAN III, daughter of Emperor THEODOSIUS II, Emperor in the East & his wife Eudoxia (422-after 462).
After the murder of her first husband, she was forced to marry his successor, but was captured during the Vandal invasion and taken to north Africa with her two daughters. Ioannes Malalas records the marriage of "Eudoxia Augusta, Valentiniani Regis vidua" and "Maximo Tyranno".
Emperor Petronius Maximus & his first (unknown) wife had one child:
i) PALADIUS (-[murdered May 455]).
The Chronicon of Bishop Idatius records that Maximus installed “filio suo ex priore coniuge Palladio” as cæsar in 455. It is assumed that he was killed at the same time as his father.
m ([Apr] 455) as her first husband, EUDOXIA, daughter of Emperor VALENTINIAN III, Emperor in the West & his wife Eudoxia . The Chronicon of Bishop Idatius records that Maximus arranged the marriage of “filio suo ex priore coniuge Palladio” and “Valentiniani filiam” in 455. After the death of her father, his successor forced Eudoxia to marry his son, but she was captured by Genseric King of the Vandals during his attack on Rome and taken back to north Africa with her mother and sister. The primary source which records her first marriage has not so far been identified. She married secondly as his second wife, Huneric. The Victoris Tonnennensis Epsicopi Chronicon records that "Hugnericus" married "Valentiniani filiam" who had been abducted from Rome in captivity.
Events
| Birth | 396 | Roma, Tuscia et Umbria, Italia Suburbica, Roman Empire | |||
| Death | 27 May 455 | Killed by Romans while attempting to flee Rome ahead of the arrival of the Vandals - Roma, Tuscia et Umbria, Italia Suburbica, Western Roman Empire | |||
| Marriage | Volusiana |
Families
| Spouse | Volusiana (415 - ) |
| Child | Maria ( - ) |
| Father | Anicius Probinus (374 - ) |
| Mother | Ennodia Magna (375 - ) |