Valerius Maximus Basilius
Encyclopedia
Valerius Maximus Basilius (c. 330 – aft. 364) was a Proconsul
of Achaea
and a Praefectus Urbi
Romae between 361 and 363.
He was the son of Lucius Valerius Maximus Basilius
and second wife Vulcacia. He married Saint Melania the Elder
or Maior, one of the wealthiest citizens of the empire, born in Hispania
, when she was fourteen, and they lived in the suburbs of Rome. When his wife was twenty-two, he and two of their three sons died of disease; Melania moved to Rome with their remaining son, and she became a Christian
.
Valerius Maximus Basilius's surviving son, Valerius Publicola (or Poplicola), married Caeionia Albina, born ca. 368 to Caeionius Rufius Albinus. Their daughter became Saint Melania the Younger
or Minor.
Proconsul
A proconsul was a governor of a province in the Roman Republic appointed for one year by the senate. In modern usage, the title has been used for a person from one country ruling another country or bluntly interfering in another country's internal affairs.-Ancient Rome:In the Roman Republic, a...
of Achaea
Achaea (Roman province)
Achaea, or Achaia, was a province of the Roman Empire, consisting of the Peloponnese, eastern Central Greece and parts of Thessaly. It bordered on the north by the provinces of Epirus vetus and Macedonia...
and a Praefectus Urbi
Praefectus urbi
The praefectus urbanus or praefectus urbi, in English the urban prefect, was prefect of the city of Rome, and later also of Constantinople. The office originated under the Roman kings, continued during the Republic and Empire, and held high importance in late Antiquity...
Romae between 361 and 363.
He was the son of Lucius Valerius Maximus Basilius
Lucius Valerius Maximus Basilius (consul)
Lucius Valerius Maximus Basilius was a Consul in 327 and a Praefectus Urbi Romae between 327 and 337.He was a son of Lucius Valerius Maximus Basilius and wife....
and second wife Vulcacia. He married Saint Melania the Elder
Melania the Elder
Saint Melania the Elder or Maior was a Desert Mother who was an influential figure in the Christian ascetic movement that sprang up in the generation after the Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire...
or Maior, one of the wealthiest citizens of the empire, born in Hispania
Hispania
Another theory holds that the name derives from Ezpanna, the Basque word for "border" or "edge", thus meaning the farthest area or place. Isidore of Sevilla considered Hispania derived from Hispalis....
, when she was fourteen, and they lived in the suburbs of Rome. When his wife was twenty-two, he and two of their three sons died of disease; Melania moved to Rome with their remaining son, and she became a Christian
Christian
A Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth as recorded in the Canonical gospels and the letters of the New Testament...
.
Valerius Maximus Basilius's surviving son, Valerius Publicola (or Poplicola), married Caeionia Albina, born ca. 368 to Caeionius Rufius Albinus. Their daughter became Saint Melania the Younger
Melania the Younger
Saint Melania the Younger is a Christian saint and Desert Mother who lived during the reign of Emperor Flavius Augustus Honorius, son of Theodosius I. She is the paternal granddaughter of Melania the Elder.The Feast of Melania the Younger is held on December 31...
or Minor.