Maxĭmus, Clemens in Harpers Dictionary
A Roman emperor, A.D. 383-388, in Gaul, Britain, and Spain,
was a native of Spain. He was proclaimed emperor by the
legions in Britain in 383, and forthwith crossed over to Gaul
to oppose Gratian, who was defeated by Maximus, and was
shortly afterwards put to death. Theodosius found it expedient
to recognize Maximus as emperor of Gaul, Britain, and Spain,
in order to secure Valentinian in the possession of Italy.
Maximus, however, aspired to the undivided empire of the West,
and accordingly, in 387, he invaded Italy at the head of a
formidable army. Valentinian was unable to resist him, and
fled to Theodosius in the East. Theodosius forthwith prepared
to avenge his colleague. In 388 he forced his way through the
Noric Alps, which had been guarded by the troops of Maximus,
and shortly afterwards took the city of Aquileia by storm and
there put Maximus to death. Victor, the son of Maximus, was
defeated and slain in Gaul by Arbogastes, the general of
Theodosius.
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