Maximinus was a Roman

barrister A barrister is a type of lawyer in common law jurisdiction (area), jurisdictions. Barristers mostly specialise in courtroom advocacy and litigation. Their tasks include arguing cases in courts and tribunals, drafting legal pleadings, jurisprud ...

and

Praetorian Prefect The praetorian prefect (; ) was a high office in the Roman Empire. Originating as the commander of the Praetorian Guard, the office gradually acquired extensive legal and administrative functions, with its holders becoming the Emperor's chief ai ...

of the later fourth century AD.

Origins

Maximinus was born in Sopianae,

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a Roman province, province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, on the west by Noricum and upper Roman Italy, Italy, and on the southward by Dalmatia (Roman province), Dalmatia and upper Moesia. It ...

. His family was of Carpic origin. Maximinus' father was an accountant in the provincial government office of Pannonia Valeria. Maximinus studied law, and practiced as an attorney. Later he was appointed to the governor of

Corsica Corsica ( , , ; ; ) is an island in the Mediterranean Sea and one of the Regions of France, 18 regions of France. It is the List of islands in the Mediterranean#By area, fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean and lies southeast of the Metro ...

Sardinia Sardinia ( ; ; ) is the Mediterranean islands#By area, second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea, after Sicily, and one of the Regions of Italy, twenty regions of Italy. It is located west of the Italian Peninsula, north of Tunisia an ...

and Tuscia. He became ''prefectus annonae'' in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

, and used this important position to launch a witch-hunt against the Roman senatorial aristocracy. At first he also kept his gubernatorial office because his successor was slow to arrive.

Trials

He made his name prosecuting members of the Roman aristocracy on charges of

witchcraft Witchcraft is the use of Magic (supernatural), magic by a person called a witch. Traditionally, "witchcraft" means the use of magic to inflict supernatural harm or misfortune on others, and this remains the most common and widespread meanin ...

, encouraged by emperor Valentinian I. Valentinian's prejudice against the Roman nobility brought the two men close together. The ''praefectus urbi'' of Rome, Olybrius was ill and weak, so Maximinus took the chance to seize the judicial authority. Historian Ammianus Marcellinus gives a detailed description about these unjust trials in the 28th book of his work. He calls Maximinus a "wild beast" and "diabolic inquisitor". After he gained the consent of the emperor Maximinus became excessively confident, and "walked on the streets of the city almost dancing like a brahmin." The famous victims of Maximinus' witch hunt were Marinus (attorney), Cethegeus senator, the young Lollianus (son of the former praefectus Lampadius), two noblewomen, Claritas and Flaviana, Paphius and Cornelius senators, Campensis haruspex and others. All of them were tortured to extort their "confessions". Maximinus prosecuted Hymetius, the former proconsul of

Africa province Africa was a Roman province on the northern coast of the continent of Africa. It was established in 146 BC, following the Roman Republic's conquest of Carthage in the Third Punic War. It roughly comprised the territory of present-day Tunisi ...

, but the man appealed to the emperor. Valentinianus handed over the case to the

Senate A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

which only sent Hymetius into exile to the great rage of the emperor. According to Marcellinus a string was attached to the side window of the praetorial office of Maximinus, where the anonymous informers could have hooked their denunciations in a letter. Maximinus also employed many spies. In 369 AD, Maximinus' brother-in-law Valentinus committed an unrecorded but very serious crime. Maximinus was able to have Valentinus' sentence commuted from execution to

exile Exile or banishment is primarily penal expulsion from one's native country, and secondarily expatriation or prolonged absence from one's homeland under either the compulsion of circumstance or the rigors of some high purpose. Usually persons ...

and he was sent to Britain where he began planning a revolt that had to be put down by

Count Theodosius Count Theodosius (; died 376), Flavius Theodosius or Theodosius the Elder (), was a senior military officer serving Valentinian I () and the Western Roman Empire during Late Antiquity. Under his command the Roman army defeated numerous threats, ...

Prefect of Gaul

Within a year, Maximinus had been promoted to '' vicarius'' of Rome and then served as praetorian prefect of Gaul from 13 July 371 to 16 April 376, providing a direct link between the emperor and the civil administration in

Roman Britain Roman Britain was the territory that became the Roman province of ''Britannia'' after the Roman conquest of Britain, consisting of a large part of the island of Great Britain. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410. Julius Caes ...

and Gaul. When Valentinian was replaced by Gratian, Maximinus was removed from his post as part of a purge of the old regime. He was later executed under Gratian (Ammianus, ''Histories'', XXVIII, 1, 57).

References

Sources

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Maximinus Ancient Roman rhetoricians Praetorian prefects of Gaul 4th-century Romans