M A X 
M A X 
was a native of Ephefus; who ftudled under .rEdefius of 
Cappadocia, a philofopher of the ecleffic fchool, and the 
immediate fuccefl'or of Jamblicus. According to Euna- 
pius, he was appointed by the emperor Conftantius pre¬ 
ceptor to Julian, furnamed the Apoftate; but, according 
to the Chriftian hiftorians, he introduced himfelf to that 
emperor at Nicotnedia, either while he was purfuing his 
ftudies there, or during his expedition into theEaft. Be 
that as it may, he became a favourite with Julian, who 
placed in him his entire confidence, and who was con¬ 
firmed by him in his hatred to the Chriftian religion, and 
in his enthufiallic attachment to the Heathen fuperlti- 
tions, and the praftice of magical arts. When Julian de- 
figned to make war againft Perfia, he confulted different 
oracles, and had recourfe to the divination of Maximus, 
who flattered him that he would rival Alexander in the 
glory of conqueft. The event, however, fliowed the 
vanity of his predictions ; and Julian fell a facrifice to 
his credulity. During the fhort reign of Jovian, Max¬ 
imus is faid to have been treated with great refpedt; 
but he met with different ufage from the emperors Valen- 
tinian and Valens. Being feized by their order, he was 
profecuted for the crime of magic; and, having had a 
greater "fine impofed upon him than he was able to dif- 
charge, he underwent a long courfe of confinement and 
fuffering, which was as cruel and unjuft as the offence 
with which he was charged was imaginary. At length 
he was liberated, and permitted to relide at his native 
place; where, about the year 373, he was put to death 
by the pro-conful Feftus, the diltinguifhed minifter of 
the emperor Valens’s cruelties. Enfield's Hifi. Phil. vol. ii. 
MAX'TMUS of Turin, a celebrated bifhop of that fee 
in the fifth century, appears to have been the fame pre¬ 
late who prefided in the council of Orange in the year 
44.1, and was prefent at the fynod of Milan, in which the 
provincial bifhops were obliged to fupport with their fen- 
tence what pope Leo wrote to the patriarch Flavianus 
againft Eutyches. He was alfo prefent at the council of 
Rome in 465 ; and is laid to have died during the follow¬ 
ing year. He was the author of feveral Homilies, which 
are ftill extant, and, though fhort, are for the mod part 
commendable both for their elegance and piety. They 
were firft publifhed at Cologne in 1535, and afterwards 
at Rome, Paris, and Lyons; and they are inferted in the 
fixth volume of the Bibl. Patr. In the fecond part of his 
Mufseum Italicum, father Mabillon publifhed twelve ad¬ 
ditional ones, from very ancient manuferipts, three of 
which had before appeared among the works of St. Am- 
brofe ; and to thefe fathers Martenne and Durand have 
added fix others, in the ninth volume of their Ampliffima 
Colledio. Cave's Hijl. Lit. and Mojheim . 
MAX'IMUS, a laint in the Roman calendar, and one 
of the molt learned Greek ecclefiaftics in the feventh cen¬ 
tury, was defeended from a noble family at Conftantinople, 
where he was born in the year 580. Having acquired a 
high reputation for capacity and erudition, he was en¬ 
gaged by the emperor Heraclius to refide in his palace, 
for the purpofe of writing the Hiftory of the Emperors ; 
and he became chief fecretary of ftate to that prince. 
When, however, Heraclius embraced the opinion of the 
Monothelites, he retired from court, and entered the mo- 
naftery of Chryfopolis near Conftantinople, the monks of 
which not long afterwards elected him their abbot. He 
was the rteady afiertor of the catholic dodrine againft the 
Monothelites, whom he oppofed with a degree of zeal ap¬ 
proaching to fury, influenced by the impatience and vio¬ 
lence of his natural temper. Finding their herefy be¬ 
coming triumphant over all theeaftern part of Chriften- 
dom, and alfo apprehenfive of the inroads of the Perfians, 
he determined to withdraw into the Weft, that he might 
route the orthodox to refift the fpreading torrent. Before 
the year 640, the- fame defign carried him into Africa, 
where he prevailed with the bifhops of that country to 
unite with pope John in condemning it. In the year 645 
he went to Rome, where he diltinguifhed himfelf by his 
Vol. XIV. No. 995. 
efforts to excite the Romans againft: the Monothelites ; 
and had no little (hare in influencing pope Martin L to 
fumrnon the Lateran council in the year 649, at which 
the molt dreadful anathemas were pronounced againft 
thofe heretics and their patrons. By his activity in this 
bufinefs, he provoked the refentment of the emperor Con- 
flans, who gave directions for his being feized by the mi¬ 
litary power, and fent prifoner to Conftantinople. Here 
he was unjuftly accufed of various crimes, which be 
proved l'o be the inventions of his enemies. He was then 
ordered to fubferibe the type, or formulary, which had 
been iffiied by the emperor in the year 648, prohibiting 
all debate on the queftions relative to the number of 
wills in Chrift; and upon his refufal was hanifhed to a 
fmall town of Thrace, named Byzias. Afterwards he 
was harrafled from prifon to prifon,and treated with great 
feverity, in order to force him to fubmiflion ; but he fuf- 
tained the perfecutions of his enemies with undaunted 
fortitude, till at length he fell a facrifice to their cruelties in 
662, when he was about eighty-two years of age. He was 
the author of a variety of works, which are written in an 
obfeure and perplexed ftyle, and abound in fanciful alle¬ 
gories, myftical fentiments, and fcholaflic fubtleties. They 
confift of Expofitions of Scripture, afcetic Difcourfes, 
Moral Maxims, Theological and Controverfial Treatifes, 
Letters, Dialogues, See. forne of which have been fepa- 
rately publifhed, and others in different collections point¬ 
ed out by Cave and Dupin. An edition of the greater 
part of them was publi(lied at Paris by father Combefis, 
in 1675, in 2 vols. folio, with notes, and the Life of the 
Author prefixed. Cave's Hijl. Lit. vol. ii. and Mojheim. 
MAX'IMUS (Marius.) See Marius, p. 370. 
MAXINE'NI, a town of Walachia: eighteen miles 
north of Galacz. 
MAX'MO, a town of Sweden, in the government of 
Wafa: twelve miles north-north-eaft of Wafa. 
MAX'STOKE, a village in Warwickfhire, three miles 
from Colefhill, with an ancient caftle, which is very en¬ 
tire, though built in 1346. It ftands on a plain in a molt 
fequeffered fpot, furrounded with trees and guarded by a 
moat. The gates are in their original ftate, covered with 
iron. Much of the habitable part is ftill ftanding, but part 
was burnt by accident. The chapel, kitchen, noble old 
hall, &c. ltill remain. Near it is Maxftoke-Priory, built 
in 1337. 
MAX'ULA, or Moraisah, in ancient geograph}', a 
town of Africa, fituated on the fea-coaft, fouth-eaft of 
Carthage. It is mentioned by Ptolemy, Pliny, and Anto- 
nine in his Itinerary. 
MAX'WELL (John), a writer of plays, the title-pages 
of which befpeak him an objed of pity. He is there faid 
to be blind ; and, from the fubferiptions at the end of 
each, we may conclude that he was poor. He was art in¬ 
habitant, and probably a native, of York, where the fol¬ 
lowing plays were printed : 1. The Shepherd’s Opera, 
1739. 2 - The Trepan, an opera, 1739. 3. The Faithful 
Pair, 1740. 4. The Royal Captive, 1745. 5. The Loves 
of Prince Emilius and Louifa, 1755. 6. The Dilfrefted 
Virgin, 1761. The laft four are tragedies. Biog. Dram. 
MAXY'GES, in ancient geography, a people of Africa, 
in Libya, weft of the river Triton. According to Hero¬ 
dotus, they permitted their hair to grow on the right fide 
of the head, fhaved the left fide, and pointed their bodies 
with vermilion. They are faid to have been defeended 
from the Trojans, and to have inhabited a very mountain¬ 
ous country, covered with wood and full of wild beafts, 
MAY, [ Maius , Lat.J The fifth month in the year, 
reckoning from our firft, or January; and the third, 
counting the year to begin with March, as the Romans 
anciently did. It was called Maius by Romulus, in refped 
to the fenators and nobles of his city, who were named 
majorcs , as the following month w as called Junius , in ho¬ 
nour of the youth of Rome, in honorem jnniorum, who 
ferved him in the war ; though fotne will have it to have 
been thus called from Mala, the mother of Mercury, to 
?’F 4 w hum 
