Marcus Servilius Fabianus Maximus was a Roman senator, who was active during the reigns of Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. He was suffect consul in a nundinium in mid-158 with Quintus Jallius Bassus as his colleague.[1] [2] A native of North Africa, Maximus was the younger brother of Marcus Servilius Silanus, suffect consul in 152, and a relative of Quintus Servilius Pudens, brother-in-law of emperor Lucius Verus.[3]
His cursus honorum is partially known from an inscription set up in Rome. His first recorded office was quattuorviri viarum curandarum, one of the magistracies that comprised the vigintiviri; membership in one of these four boards was a preliminary and required first step toward gaining entry into the Roman Senate. This was followed with his commission as military tribune with Legio I Minervia, stationed at Bonna (modern Bonn), in Germania Inferior. Maximus returned to Rome where he was elected quaestor, which he served at the city of Rome; upon completion of this traditional Republican magistracy he would be enrolled in the Senate.[4] Following this he served as ab actis Senatus, or recorder of the Acta Senatus. Two more of the traditional Republican magistracies followed: curule aedile and praetor.
After stepping down from the office of praetor, Maximus was selected to serve as legatus or adjunct to the proconsular governor of Asia; Géza Alföldy dates his office to circa 146. This was followed by a series of imperial appointments. First was curator of the Via Valeria; Alföldy dates his appointment to this curatorship between the years 147 and 150.[5] Then Maximus was commissioned legatus legionis or commander of Legio III Gallica, which was stationed in Syria. Alföldy dates his tenure as commander from around the year 150 to 153.[6] After returning to Rome, he was appointed prefectus aerarum Saturninus, which Alföldy dates between the years 153 and 156.[7] His consulate followed.
The consular portion of Maximus included three appointments. First was curator aedium sacrarum, or overseer of temples, which Alföldy dates to around the year 160.[8] His next appointment was as governor of Moesia Superior, which Alföldy dates from the year 161 to 162.[9] In that later year Marcus Jallius Bassus became a member of the Emperor Marcus Aurelius' comes or inner circle of advisors during the Parthian War, and Maximus was appointed to replace him as governor of Moesia Inferior; according to Alföldy, he held this governorship until the year 166.[10]
Maximus' life is a blank after he left the second governorship.