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Maximus, a Spaniard by birth, commanded the legions in Britain. His troops decided that he would make a better emperor than the legitimate Augustus, Gratian, and rebelled. Once Britain was under his control, Maximus invaded Gaul.
Gratian, panicked, fled, but was captured and executed. Maximus thus took control of Britain, Gaul, Spain and Africa. If he had stayed put, content with his remarkably successful usurpation, all
might have gone well for him, but he became greedy, and invaded Italy, dominion of the young Valentinian II, brother of Gratian. Valentinian fled, but the eastern emperor, Theodosius I (appointed by
Gratian), took arms against Maximus, and at the battle of Poetovio in 388, Maximus was defeated, captured and executed. |
