According to Theophanes of Vatopedi, Maximos was born Manuel (his baptismal name) into an aristocratic family in Lampsacus, a town on the Hellespont.
[2] The stories of Maximos's life recount that, as a child, he was devoted to the Virgin Mary and gave his food and clothing to the poor.
Around this time he began his life of austerity, sleeping on the ground, staying awake for long periods, and fasting.
[2] After his spiritual father died, he went to Constantinople, spending a year in the city, where he acted as a "holy fool," pretending to be mad while living in the gateway of a famous church.
During his time there, he experienced three divine visions from the Virgin Mary, who told Maximos to ascend the summit of Mount Athos.
He wore only a single piece of clothing, lived on a diet of wild nuts and berries, and would regularly burn down his hut as he moved on to new locations.
[7] During his final years, Maximos gave his hut to Niphon Kausokalybites and moved closer to the Great Lavra so that he could hear its bells.