265:, in succession. The order is not certain, although it is more likely that he held the governorship of Africa from 213/214, followed by the governorship of Asia from 215 to 216. Regardless, it was unprecedented to hold both Proconsulships, as either one of which conventionally crowned a senator's career. Further, he held the proconsular governorship of Asia for two consecutive years, which was also extraordinary. This suggests he was held in great esteem by
358:, who nevertheless cites him directly at least twenty-six times (apparently in most cases quoting or summarizing passages from Marius's lost work) and probably uses him in many places elsewhere. Marius's intention seems to have been to follow and out-perform
362:
in serving up gossip, spicy details of the
Emperorsâ private lives, cynical comments, scandalous anecdotes, and curiosa. He also quoted from letters, senatorial edicts and so on, but seems to have invented some of these â a practice which the
394:, who points out that all the passages in which Marius is cited by name can be shown to be interpolations in the authorâs main narrative, brought in to provide colour, frivolous anecdote or critical comment. Examples include the meat dish (
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295:
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employ Marius as their primary source material. Anthony Birley has recently offered the most detailed defense of this position. There is however a contrary view, most convincingly put by Sir
340:. As an eyewitness who experienced at least seven of these reigns from positions of authority, Maximus could have taken up the writing of history like his contemporary
647:
641:
371:âs narration of the assassination of Elagabalus, well told and full of authentic-seeming circumstantial detail, is generally considered to derive from Marius Maximus.
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309:
45:. Marius's work is lost, but it was still being read in the late 4th century and was used as a source by writers of that era, notably the author of the
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author adopted with enormous enthusiasm and bravura. However his work, sensationalist or not, must have contained much valuable information. The
720:
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715:
695:
745:
344:, but he preferred the anecdotal and, indeed, frivolous forms of biography. His writings come in for adverse criticism from
41:, who in the early decades of the 3rd century AD wrote a series of biographies of twelve Emperors, imitating and continuing
67:
It is more or less agreed that Marius
Maximus the biographer is identical with one of the most successful senators of the
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705:
700:
725:
548:
710:
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580:
230:, which he held probably until AD 199. Probably during the last year of his governorship, he held his first
124:(or officer in charge of the roads outside of the walls of Rome). Around AD 182/183, Marius Maximus was the
529:
Continuité gentilice et continuité sénatoriale dans les familles sénatoriales romaines à l'époque impériale
222:
740:
735:
680:
253:
Then, between the years 213 and 217, Marius
Maximus became the first ex-consul ever to hold both the
84:
19:
This article is about the Roman biographer and historian. For other people with the name Marius, see
420:, and so on. It is more likely in Syme's opinion that Marius was a secondary source, and that the
71:
whose career is known from inscriptions, namely Lucius Marius
Maximus Perpetuus Aurelianus, twice
547:
313:
262:
20:
247:
51:. The nature and reliability of Marius's work, and the extent to which the earlier part of the
312:, who was consul in AD 232. Marius also had a brother who was a suffect consul around AD 203,
554:
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111:
413:
349:
106:
8:
670:
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461:
Anthony Birley, "Marius
Maximus: The Consular Biographer," ANRW II.34.3 (1997) 2678â2757.
328:, but presumably towards the end of his career. It was intended as a continuation of the
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213:
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author was following in the main a more sober source, âIgnotus, the Good
Biographerâ.
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243:
166:
115:
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184:
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47:
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There has long been a school of thought that holds that the lives of the
Emperors
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Probably born about 160 AD, Marius
Maximusâ military career began in the reign of
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in 218, which he held until 219. Although he held no post during the reign of
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It is not known for certain when Marius wrote his work, apparently entitled
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draws upon it, are two vexed questions among the many problems that the
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believes that Marius
Maximus was married to Cassia Marciana, sister of
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His career continued after
Caracalla's murder, with his appointment as
154:
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but evidently secured entry to the senatorial order for his son as a
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of Suetonius, and apparently covered the next twelve reigns, from
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83:
and was not senatorial; his father, L. Marius Perpetuus, was an
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continues to pose for students of Roman history and literature.
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38:
88:
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he was made consul for a second time in AD 223, alongside
308:, another prominent historian. Together, they had a son,
189:
130:
before being nominated as a candidate for the office of
118:. During Marcus Aureliusâ reign, he was also one of the
153:. Around AD 190, Marius Maximus was the curator of the
416:, the Senateâs craven catalogue of acclamations for
549:"Lucius Perpetuus Aurelianus Marius Maximus"
374:
114:. Around 178 to 180, he held the same rank in the
634:Luscius Roscius Aelianus Paculus Salvius Julianus
657:
466:Power and Status in the Roman Empire, AD 193-284
296:Lucius Roscius Aelianus Paculus Salvius Julianus
691:Latin writers known only from secondary sources
187:. Then sometime between 193 and 196 he was the
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238:(c. AD 199 or 200). His next posting was as
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246:, followed by the imperial governorship of
212:. It was during this time he fought at the
545:
404:invented, Hadrianâs supposed expertise in
27:Lucius Marius Maximus Perpetuus Aurelianus
16:Roman consul and historian (c.160 â c.230)
183:and was involved in the campaign against
79:of Rome. His family may have hailed from
352:, and also the anonymous author of the
658:
408:, various stories to the discredit of
33:) (c. AD 160 â c. AD 230) was a Roman
721:Roman governors of Germania Inferior
676:3rd-century Roman governors of Syria
558:. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
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716:Roman governors of Gallia Belgica
546:Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913).
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94:novus homo
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149:into the
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326:Caesares
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216:against
210:Lugdunum
163:Faventia
147:adlected
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384:Hadrian
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181:Danube
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21:Marius
756:Marii
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