Maximinus
:''This article deals with 4th century Roman Emperor. For the 3rd century Roman emperor, see
Maximinus Thrax. For the 4th century Roman Praetorian Prefect and barrister see
Maximinus (Praetorian Prefect).
Gaius Valerius Galerius Maximinus (
20 November,
c. 270 - July/August,
313)
Roman emperor from
308 to
313, was originally a peasant named
Daia, born in the Danubian region, in the newly reorganised Roman province of
Dacia Aureliana (together with
Macedonia subordinated to the later
Prefecture of Illyricum). He was the nephew of
Galerius, being the son of his sister.
He rose to high distinction after he had joined the army, and in 305 he was adopted by his maternal uncle,
Galerius, and raised to the rank of
caesar, with the government of
Syria and
Aegyptus.
In
308, after the elevation of
Licinius to
Augustus, Maximinus and
Constantine were declared
filii Augustorum ("sons of the Augusti"), but Maximinus probably started styling himself Augustus during a campaign against the
Sassanids in
310.
On the death of Galerius, in
311, Maximinus divided the Eastern Empire between Licinius and himself. When Licinius and
Constantine began to make common cause with one another, Maximinus entered into a secret alliance with the usurper Caesar
Maxentius, who controlled Italy. He came to an open rupture with Licinius in
313, sustained a crushing defeat at the
Battle of Tzirallum, in the neighbourhood of
Heraclea Pontica, on the
April 30, and fled, first to
Nicomedia and afterwards to
Tarsus, where he died the following August. His death was variously ascribed "to despair, to poison, and to the divine justice".
Maximinus has a bad name in
Christian annals, as having renewed persecution after the publication of the toleration edict of Galerius, but it is probable that he has been judged too harshly.
*
DiMaio, Michael, "Maximinus Daia (305-313 A.D.)", De Imperatoribus Romanis*
Catholic Encyclopedia article
