Marcus Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messalinus

Marcus Aurelius Cotta Maximus Messalinus (flourished second half of 1st century BC and first half of 1st century AD) was a Roman Senator who was a friend of the first two Roman emperors Augustus and Tiberius. Family background Maximus was born and raised in Rome. His birth date is unknown; however, it is not earlier than 24 BC, and possibly in 14 BC. His father was the literary patron Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, suffect consul in 31 BC. Maximus was the son born to Corvinus’ second marriage to his unknown wife. The last poem of the poet Ovid (Ex Ponto IV.16) reveals that his mother was a Roman noblewoman called Aurelia Cotta. Further evidence that Aurelia Cotta was his mother was that, although he was born into the gens Valeria, he was later adopted into the Aurelii Cottae. His birth name is unknown, and so he is only known by his adopted name. From his father's previous marriage, Maximus had an older paternal half-sibling: Marcus Valerius Messalla Messallinus, who served as a consul in 3 BC. He also had a full sister, Valeria Messalina, who married Titus Statilius Taurus, consul in AD 11, and Maximus was the great-uncle of Lollia Paulina who was the third wife of Caligula and a relation to Statilia Messalina, the third wife of Nero. Marcus Valerius Messalla Corvinus, consul in 58, may have been his son. Ovid Maximus was a friend and patron of the poet Ovid. He was one of the people to whom Ovid had addressed various letters which have survived to the present. Maximus was with Ovid in the year 8, when news arrived of Ovid's banishment. Maximus afterwards provided material, psychological, and possibly financial support to his friend. Although his friendship with Augustus didn't affect Ovid's banishment, Ovid believed as late as 11 that Maximus could successfully intercede with the Princeps.