Valerius Maximus
Valerius Maximus was a Roman author and moralist known primarily for his work, "Memorable Deeds and Sayings," written around 31 CE. This collection consists of nearly one thousand historical anecdotes, organized into nine books that highlight various virtues and vices, such as bravery and cruelty. Valerius emphasizes moral lessons through these anecdotes, often stripping them of their historical context to focus on ethical conduct. He dedicated his work to Emperor Tiberius, portraying him as a divine figure, which underscores the political connections Valerius likely held during his life. While little is known about his personal life, it is evident that he was well-connected, as evidenced by his friendship with notable figures of his time. Valerius's influence persisted throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, where he was admired as a moral guide. However, as historical criticism evolved, his work fell out of favor. Recently, there has been a resurgence of interest in his writings, particularly as a lens to understand the ideological landscape of Tiberian Rome.
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Subject Terms
Valerius Maximus
Author
- Born: c. 20 b.c.e.
- Birthplace: Rome
- Died: c. 50 c.e.
- Place of death: Unknown
Related civilization: Imperial Rome
Major role/position: Author
Life
Little is known of Valerius Maximus’s (vuh-LIHR-ee-uhs MAK-suh-muhs) personal life other than the few facts he mentions in the course of his work. He appears to have been well connected politically. He presents himself, for example, as a friend to the consul of 14 c.e., Sextus Pompeius Magnus. Valerius Maximus published Fatorum et dictorum memorabilium libri ix (c. 31 c.e.; Memorable Deeds and Sayings, 1888), a collection of some one thousand historical anecdotes in nine books. The anecdotes are arranged by categories of virtue and vice (including religion observed, religion neglected, bravery, and cruelty) and further subdivided within each chapter according to whether the story in question derives from Roman or foreign (usually Greek) history. Valerius dedicates his Memorable Deeds and Sayings to the emperor Tiberius, whom he treats throughout his work as a living god. The anecdotes themselves are highly rhetorical and endeavor to encourage personal morality and ethical conduct through the study of historical situations stripped of historical context.
Influence
As a moralist, Valerius was revered throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance. With the advent of critical approaches to history, Valerius fell into disfavor and neglect, although the 1990’s began to see renewed interest in Valerius’s work as a helpful guide to ideological currents in Tiberian Rome.
Bibliography
Bloomer, W. Martin. Valerius Maximus and the Rhetoric of the New Nobility. Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 1992.
Shackleton Bailey, D. R., ed. and trans. Valerius Maximus: Memorable Deeds and Sayings. 2 vols. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2000.
Skidmore, Clive J. Practical Ethics for Roman Gentlemen: The Work of Valerius Maximus. Exeter, Devon, England: University of Exeter Press, 1996.