Tiberius Claudius Maximus

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Tiberius Claudius Maximus was a Roman soldier who served with Legio VII Claudia in the Dacian Wars during the reign of emperor Domitian and emperor Trajan .

He was born in Greece and joined the army in 85 AD at a young age and served in Legion VII Claudia in Moesia. In 87 and 88 AD he fought as part of his legion in the First Battle of Tapae and Second Battle of Tapae .

Tiberius Claudius Maximus later become a cavalry officer in his legion and standard-bearer of the cavalry. He was decorated for bravery by the Emperor Domitian. Trajan promoted him to lead an Auxiliary cavalry unit of Pannonians. In 107 AD, during the Dacian Wars, Tiberius Claudius Maximus, serving as a scout with his unit, was tasked to capture the escaping Dacian King Decebalus. Before Maximus was able to capture him, Decebalus committed suicide by cutting his own throat: this incident is shown on Trajan's column. Maximus cut off the head and right arm of the Dacian king and took them to the emperor Trajan at Ransisstorum who granted him a medal, his second one in his military career.

Tiberius Claudius Maximus later served in Trajan's Parthian Wars; having voluntarily served longer than his contracted period of service, he was eventually discharged in the province of Mesopotamia.

He died after 117 AD. While still alive, around 106, he raised a monument at Philippi in Greece (now in the museum at Kavalla) which bears a representation of the two medals he received during his military career and also makes the claim that he had actually captured Decebalus.

[edit] Sources

Tiberius Claudius Maximus: the cavalryman by Peter Connolly ISBN 0199171068 : 9780199171064

The Roman Army 31BC-AD337, A Soucebook by Brian Campbell (Routledge: 1994) ISBN 0-415-07173-9 has a full translation of the Philippi Monument and also a photograph of it.