Petronius Maximus
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Petronius Maximus was a powerful Roman nobleman who ruled as emperor of the Western Roman Empire for about 75 days in 455 CE, during a time when imperial authority was rapidly collapsing. He is historically significant as one of the last emperors of the Western Roman Empire and his brief, turbulent reign illustrates the political instability that characterized Rome's final decades.
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Person
- Born
- 0396-00-00
- Died
- 0455-05-31
via Open Library + Wikidata
Recent publications · Crossref
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Article
Petronius Maximus (c. 397 – 31 May 455) was Roman emperor of the West for two and a half months in 455. A wealthy senator and a prominent aristocrat, he was instrumental in the murders of the Western Roman magister militum, Aëtius, and the Western Roman emperor, Valentinian III.
After the assassination of Aëtius and the subsequent death of Valentinian III, Maximus secured the support of the Senate and utilized bribery to gain the favor of palace officials, enabling him to ascend to power. He strengthened his position by forcing Licinia Eudoxia, Valentinian's widow, to marry him and forcing her daughter Eudocia to marry his son, cancelling her betrothal to the son of the Vandal king Genseric. This infuriated both Eudocia and Genseric, who sent a fleet to Rome. Maximus failed to obtain troops from the Visigoths and he fled as the Vandals arrived, became detached from his retinue and bodyguard in the confusion, and was killed by fellow Romans. The Vandals thoroughly sacked Rome in their retaliatory invasion.