Maximus, Caesar AD 236-238. Rome
Sestertius Æ

31 mm, 21,83 g

MAXIMVS CAES GERM, bareheaded and draped bust right / [PRI]NCIPI IVVENTVTIS, Maximus standing left, holding baton and spear; two signa to right; S-C across fields.

Nearly Very Fine

RIC 13; C. 14; BMCRE 213 (Maximinus).

Maximus Caesar, originally known as Gaius Iulius Verus Maximus, was the son of Roman Emperor Maximinus Thrax and Caecilia Paulina. In AD 236, a year after his father took the throne, Maximus was appointed Caesar by the Senate, making him the heir and co-regent. Despite adopting the name Germanicus, later sources suggest that Maximus was disinterested in military matters, preferring a life of luxury. This could have caused resentment among the soldiers, who, in April AD 238 near Aquileia, seized the opportunity to overthrow both Maximus and his father. Some argue that Maximus was a cultured and amiable young man, capable of fostering better relations between his father and the Senate if given the chance. Both father and son's severed heads were displayed in Rome.