Maximin II

DAZA, Roman emperor, was originally an Illyrian peasant, who served in the Roman armies, and was raised by Galerius, who was his relative, to the rank of military tribune, and lastly, A.D. 303, at the time of the abdication of Diocletian and Maximian, to the dignity of Caesar, receiving for his share the government of Syria and Egypt. After the death of Galerius, in 311. Maximin and Licinius divided his dominions between them, and Maximin obtained the whole of the Asiatic provinces. Both he and Licinius behaved ungratefully towards the family of Galerius, their common benefactor. Valeria, the daughter of Diocletian and widow of Galerius, having escaped from Licinius into the dominions of Maximin, the latter offered to marry her, and on her refusal banished her with her mother into the deserts of Syria. He gained unenviable notoriety by his severity towards his Christian subjects, and made war against the Armenians. A new war having broken out between Licinius and Maximin, the latter advanced as far as Adrianople, but was defeated, fled into Asia, and died of poison at Tarsus in 313. — English Cyclop. s.v.