Life
The only information we have for Valerius Maximus comes from his own writings. Therein he portrayed himself as a modest client of Sextus Pompeius (cousin to Pompey the Great, not to be confused with Pompey’s son), whom he accompanied Asia Minor in 27 CE.
Works
Valerius’ only surviving work, and perhaps his only published work, is his Facta et Dicta Memorabilia (“Memorable Deeds and Sayings”), a sort of rhetorical handbook for students and orators. It contained examples of virtuous deeds sorted by topic (e.g. love between spouses, unwavering loyalty to friends, or valor in war) of both Romans and non-Romans; of the non-Romans, primarily Greeks are represented, but some non-Greeks are, too.
The work was published during the reign of Tiberius, whom he flatters excessively.
Because of the nature of the text, it was often mined by later writers—including Pliny the Younger and Aulus Gellius—for stories and examples to insert into their own works. It was extremely popular in the Middle Ages, leading to it being one of the most copied ancient Latin works.
Valerius Maximus Online
Latin: PHI Latin Texts
French: Remacle
