Person

Magnus Maximus

c. 335–388 · 4th century · Also known as Macsen Wledig

Magnus Maximus was a Roman general of Spanish origin who, as commander in Britain, was proclaimed emperor by his troops in 383. He crossed to Gaul, where the emperor Gratian was killed, and ruled Britain, Gaul and Spain from Trier until he invaded Italy and was defeated and executed by Theodosius I in 388. In Welsh legend, as Macsen Wledig, he became an ancestor of several royal lines.

Magnus Maximus
Image: CNG · CC BY-SA 2.5 · Wikimedia Commons

Mentioned in 3 profiles

Roman BritainDeclineKingdom of the PictsMilitaryKingdom of PowysFoundation, Impact

Mentioned in 1 state history

Kingdom of Powys

See also

Cite this entry
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Magnus Maximus. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magnus-maximus
MLA
“Magnus Maximus.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magnus-maximus. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Magnus Maximus.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magnus-maximus.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Magnus Maximus’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/magnus-maximus (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻