Editing Magnus Maximus (section)

=== Geoffrey of Monmouth ===
[[File:Llanbeblig Hours (f. 3r.) A king, possibly Magnus Maximus, holding a sceptre.jpg|thumb|Illustration from a 14th-century Welsh manuscript thought to intend to depict Magnus Maximus. Llanbeblig Hours (f. 3r.)]]
{{wikisource|History of the Kings of Britain/Book 5}}
According to [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]]'s fictional ''[[Historia Regum Britanniae]]'' ({{circa|lk=no|1136}}), the basis for many English and Welsh legends, Maximianus, as he calls him, was a Roman senator, a nephew of [[Coel Hen]] through Coel's brother Ioelinus, and king of the [[Celtic Britons|Britons]] following the death of Octavius ([[Eudaf Hen]]). Geoffrey writes this came about because Octavius wanted to wed his daughter to just such a powerful half-Roman-half-Briton and to give the kingship of Britain, as a dowry, to that husband, so he sent a message to Rome offering his daughter to Maximian.<ref name="Monmouth">G Monmouth (1966). ''The History of the Kings of Britain''. Penguin 1966, pp. 136–147</ref>

[[Caradocus]], the [[List of legendary rulers of Cornwall|Duke of Cornwall]], had suggested and supported the marriage between Octavius's daughter and Maximian. Maximian accepted the offer and left Rome for Britain. Geoffrey claims further that Maximian gathered an army as he sacked [[Franks|Frankish]] towns along the way. He invaded Clausentum (modern [[Southampton]]) unintentionally and nearly fought the army of the Britons under [[Conan Meriadoc]] before agreeing to a truce. Following further negotiations, Maximian was given the kingship of Britain and Octavius retired. Five years into his kingship, Magnus Maximus assembled a vast fleet and invaded [[Gaul]], leaving Britain in the control of Caradocus.<ref name="Monmouth"/> 

Upon reaching the kingdom of [[Armorica]] (historically, the region between the Loire and Seine rivers, later comprising Brittany, Normandy, Anjou, Maine and Touraine), he defeated the king and killed thousands of inhabitants. Before departing to Rome, he summoned [[Conan Meriadoc|Conanus]], the rebellious nephew of Octavius, and asked him to rule as king of the land, which was renamed [[Brittany]]. Conan's men married native women after cutting out their tongues to preserve the purity of their language. [[Geoffrey of Monmouth]] presents this legend to explain the Welsh name for Brittany, Llydaw, as originating from ''lled-taw'' or "half-silent". Given that Conan was well established in genealogies as the founder of Brittany, this account is certainly connected to an older tradition than Geoffrey.

Following the death of Caradocus, rule of Britain as regent passed to [[Dionotus]], who &ndash; facing a foreign invasion &ndash; appealed to Maximus, who finally sent a man named [[Gracianus Municeps]] with two legions to stop the attack. He killed many thousands before the invaders fled to [[Ireland]]. Maximus died in [[Rome]] soon after and Dionotus became the official king of the Britons. Unfortunately, before he could begin his reign, Gracianus took hold of the crown and made himself king over Dionotus.

While a broadly positive account of Maximian, the ''History'' concludes with the success of the barbarian invaders, and laments, "Alas for the absence of so many warlike soldiers through the madness of Maximianus!".<ref name="Monmouth"/>