Maximus pandered to the emperor's love of magic and theurgy and won a high position at court, where his overbearing manner made him numerous enemies.
The most detailed source for the life of Maximus is Eunapius in his Lives of the Sophists, but he is also referred to by Ammianus Marcellinus, the emperor Julian, and Libanius.
[2] Another brother, Nymphidianus, served emperor Julian as Magister epistolarum graecarum (secretary for Greek correspondence).
Many Neoplatonists practiced theurgy (attempting to commune with God by special ritual actions), and there is a testimony according to which Maximus successfully broke a love-spell which had been cast on the philosopher Sosipatra by one of her relatives.
Maximus accepted the emperor's invitation despite receiving unfavourable omens, and is said to have explained that it was possible to force the favour of the gods.
Eunapius reported that Maximus wanted to kill himself, as he could no longer bear the pain, and his wife procured some poison.
The philosopher was restored to a large part of his confiscated property and resumed teaching, even daring to return to Constantinople.
Valens responded with a massacre of individuals with those letters at the beginning of their names, and a general persecution of polytheistic philosophers.
Two lost commentaries are testified from other sources: one on the Categories, from which a fragment survives, and one on the Prior Analytics, to which Themistius responded.