Petronius Maximus - Reign and Death

Reign and Death

After gaining control of the palace, Maximus consolidated his hold on power by immediately marrying Licinia Eudoxia, the widow of Valentinian III. She only married him reluctantly, suspecting that in fact he had been involved in the murder of her late husband; and indeed Maximus treated Valentinian III's assassins with considerable favour. The eastern court at Constantinople refused to recognise his accession, so to further secure his position, Maximus quickly appointed Avitus as Master of Soldiers, and sent him on a mission to Toulouse to gain the support of the Visigoths. He also proceeded to cancel the betrothal of Licinia’s daughter, Eudocia, to Huneric, the son of the Vandal king Geiseric. This infuriated the Vandal king, who only needed the excuse of Licinia’s despairing appeal to the Vandal court for help to begin preparations for the invasion of Italy.

By May, however, within two months of Maximus gaining the throne, news reached Rome that Geiseric was sailing for Italy. As the news spread, panic gripped the city and many of its inhabitants took to flight. The Emperor, aware that Avitus had not yet returned with the expected Visigothic aid, decided that it was fruitless to mount a defence against the Vandals, so he attempted to organize his escape, urging the Senate to accompany him. However, in the panic, Petronius Maximus was completely abandoned by his bodyguard and entourage and left to fend for himself.

As Maximus rode out of the city on his own on May 31, 455, he was set upon by an angry mob, which stoned him to death.(Another account has it that he was killed by "a certain Roman soldier named Ursus") His body was mutilated and flung into the Tiber. He had reigned for only seventy-eight days. His son from his first marriage, Palladius, who had held the title of Caesar between March 17 and May 31, and who had married his stepsister Eudocia, was probably executed.

On June 2, 455, three days after Maximus’ death, Geiseric captured the city of Rome and thoroughly sacked it for two weeks. In response to the pleas of Pope Leo I, the Vandals desisted from more destructive behavior that often accompanied the sack of a city – arson, torture, and murder. Nevertheless Geiseric eventually carried away a great amount of loot as well as the empress Licinia Eudoxia and her daughters Placidia and Eudocia. Eudocia married Huneric in 456 as had been originally intended.