Roman emperor A.D. 305-- 314. GALERIUS
VALERIUS
MAXIMINUS, who originally bore the name of DAZA. was the nephew of Galerius by a sister, and in early life followed the occupation
of a shepherd in his native Illyria. Having forsaken this humble calling for the life of a
soldier, by force of interest rather than of any conspicuous merit, he rose to the highest
rank in the service, and upon the abdication of Diocletian at Nicomedeia in DIOCLETIANUS, p. 1013], although altogether
undistinguished, and indeed unknown, was adopted by the new emperor of the East, received the
title of
The great military talents of Herculius, Galerius, and Licinius, served in some degree, if
not to palliate, at least to divert attention from, their vices and their crimes. But not one
quality, either noble or dazzling, relieves the coarse brutality of Maximin, who surpassed all
his contemporaries in the profligacy of his private life, in the general cruelty of his
administration, and in the furious hatred with which he persecuted the Christians. His
elevation, which was the result of family influence alone, must have been as unexpected by
himself as by others; but he did not prove by any means such a passive and subservient tool as
was anticipated. His extravagant vanity, for we can scarcely dignify the feeling by the name
of ambition, was for a while gratified, because Galerius felt unwilling to engage in a civil
war with the creature of his own hands; but the arrogance engendered by this success in all
probability prompted him to the unprovoked aggression which proved his ruin. (Zosim. 2.8;
Victor, Epit. 40; de Mort. Persec. 5, 32, 36, 38, 45, &c.;