Maxentius

Also known as Marcus Aurelius Valerius Maxentius, Maxentius the Tyrant

Supporting
First seen · Book 1 · Ch. 50

There's a coldness to his presence that chills the air around him—youthful features twisted by indulgence, eyes that seem to calculate the value of everything they see. The imperial purple drapes over him like a second skin, yet something about the way he wears it suggests it was never meant to fit.

Gender: male
Age: Young adult
First appears: Book 1 · Ch. 50
Books: 1

Maxentius began as the son of Maximian, married to the daughter of Galerius, yet his vices and incapacity led to his exclusion from the Caesar rank. He seized power in Italy through cruelty and rapacity, ruling as a tyrant who extracted wealth from his subjects while indulging in pleasure. His reign ended when he faced Constantine at the Milvian Bridge, his accumulated treasures lavished by his conqueror after his defeat.

Description

A young man of slender build with pale skin and dark hair arranged in the Roman style, clean-shaven with features that carry a cruel cast. He wears the imperial purple robes with gold embroidery, the fabric heavy with the weight of authority he claims. His presence suggests both the refinement of court life and the harshness of one who rules through fear rather than respect.

Story so far

BOOK 1The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire / Table of Contents with links in the HTML file to the two Project Gutenberg editions (12 volumes)