Editing Maxentius (section)

==Overview and legacy==
[[File:Coin of Maxentius, British Museum.jpg|thumb|300px|[[Aureus]] of Maxentius. Legend: MAXENTIVS P F AVG / MARTI VICTORI COMITI AVG N]]

Studies conducted between 2021 and 2022 have made it possible to identify the manuscript tradition of Maxentius' epistles, which have undergone numerous interpolations and attempts of forgery to adapt the texts to a pro-Constantinian hagiographic narrative (Passio of Saint Catherine).
A comparison with Roman law, legal papyri and the primary sources such as Diocletian's Senateconsult and edict of persecution has allowed an integrated critical reconstruction of the original texts, which perfectly mirrors what Eusebius of Caesarea, Optatus of Milevi and Saint Augustine report about Maxentius' pro-Christian policy.
According to these new documents found in the [[Biblioteca Marciana]] of [[Venice]], we learn that Maxentius ended the Great Persecution in his territories at least five years in advance of the Edict of Milan:

1- made Christianity a licit religion welcoming the "New Gods" in the Pax Deorum (Epistle 1)

2- abolished the edict of persecution of Diocletian by law (Epistle 1)

3- threatens serious punishments for anyone persisting in the persecution of Christians (Epistle 1)

4- He raged against the Donatist sect in Africa, reaffirming its strategic alliance with the Church of Rome (Epistle 2)

The Diocletianic Persecutions extended from 303 to 311 in all territories of the Empire, except at this point those under the jurisdiction of Maxentius {{snd}} the Roman empire's last, largest, and bloodiest official persecution of Christianity. 
Constantine came to power in 311 after defeating Maxentius at the Milvian bridge, where Maxentius drowned.<ref>{{Cite journal |title=Vol. 8 (2021): Anejos de Antigüedad y Cristianismo: Marcianus Gr. II, 145 (1238 F. 1R). Nota preliminare a due inedite epistulae dell'imperatore Massenzio nel quadro dei rapporti tra Cristianesimo e Impero. Riflessioni sulla cronologia del primo editto di tolleranza. |last=Serra |first=Diego |url=https://revistas.um.es/ayc/issue/view/20101 |journal=Anejos de Antigüedad y Cristianismo |date=2021 |volume=8 |pages=1–193 |doi=10.6018/ayc |language=it|doi-access=free|hdl=10662/16269 |hdl-access=free }} {{Cite journal |title=El rescriptum del emperador Majencio sobre Lucilla de Cartago en vísperas del cisma donatista |trans-title=The rescriptum of the emperor Maxentius about Lucilla of Carthage on the verge of the Donatist schism |last=Serra |first=Diego |url=https://revistas.um.es/ayc/article/view/495471 |journal=Antigüedad y Cristianismo |date=2021 |access-date=6 April 2023 |volume=38 |issue=38 |pages=85–113 |doi=10.6018/ayc.495471 |s2cid=245545882 |language=es|doi-access=free }} {{Cite journal |title=El Senatoconsulto y el edicto de Diocleciano y Maximiano contra Christianos y el edicto abrogativo de Majencio: BHG 1576, BNF Grec. 1470, ff. 120v-121r. |trans-title=The Senateconsult and the edict of Diocletian and Maximian against Christians and the abrogative edict of Maxentius |last=Serra |first=Diego |url=https://revistas.um.es/ayc/issue/view/21011 |journal=Anejos de Antigüedad y Cristianismo |date=2022 |volume=10 |pages=1–428 |doi=10.6018/ayc |language=es|doi-access=free|hdl=10662/16269 |hdl-access=free }}</ref>

Maxentius was a prolific builder, whose achievements were overshadowed by Constantine's issue of a ''[[damnatio memoriae]]'' against him. Many buildings in Rome that are commonly associated with Constantine, such as the [[Basilica of Maxentius|great basilica]] in the [[forum Romanum]], were in fact built by Maxentius.<ref>Cullhed, M (1994) ''Conservator Urbis Suae'' Stockholm; Kerr, L (2001) ''A topography of death: the buildings of the emperor Maxentius on the Via Appia, Rome'' In M Carruthers et al (eds) ''Eleventh Annual Proceedings of the Theoretical Roman Archaeology Conference'' pp. 24–33 Oxford: Oxbow {{doi|10.16995/TRAC2001_24_33}} {{open access}}</ref>

===Discovery of Imperial insignia===
In December 2006, Italian archaeologists announced that an excavation under a shrine near the [[Palatine Hill]] had unearthed several items in wooden boxes, which they identified as the imperial ''[[regalia]]'', possibly belonging to Maxentius.<ref>{{Cite web |title=I segni del potere : realtà e immaginario della sovranità nella Roma imperiale |url=http://www.worldcat.org/title/749781864 |access-date=2022-08-23 |website=worldcat.org}}</ref> The items in these boxes, which were wrapped in linen and what appears to be [[silk]], include three complete lances, four javelins, what appears to be a base for standards, and three glass and [[chalcedony]] spheres. The most important find was a [[sceptre]] of a flower holding a blue-green globe, which is believed to have belonged to the Emperor himself because of its intricate workmanship, and has been dated to his rule.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7022 |title=Scepter from Roman Emperor Exhibited |access-date=2009-03-16 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012173415/http://www.chnpress.com/news/?section=2&id=7022 |archive-date=2007-10-12 }}</ref>

These are the only known imperial insignia so far recovered, which hitherto had only been known from representations on coins and in relief sculptures. Clementina Panella, the archaeologist who made the discovery, states that "These artifacts clearly belonged to the emperor, especially the sceptre, which is very elaborate. It's not an item you would let someone else have." Panella notes that the insignia were likely hidden by Maxentius' supporters in an attempt to preserve the emperor's memory after he was defeated at the [[Battle of the Milvian Bridge]] by Constantine.<ref>[https://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article1303241.ece ''The Times'', online edition]</ref> The items have been restored and are on temporary display at the [[Museo Nazionale Romano]] at the Palazzo Massimo alle Terme.