To a modern art historian Meyer Shapiro, "Maximian was "a poor deacon of Pola who to a high position through his political adroitness" as a protegé of Justinian II. He had not been wanted as archbishop by the people of Ravenna, but "by shrewd maneuvres he overcame their opposition, and won their respect by his discretion, generosity, and great enterprises of church building and decoration".
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Schapiro, Meyer, "The Joseph Scenes on the Maximianus Throne", in Selected Papers, volume 3, Late Antique, Early Christian and Mediaeval Art, 1980, Chatto & Windus, London, ISBN 0701125144, also on JSTOR from the Gazette des Beaux-Arts, 1952
Ravenna | Province of Ravenna | ''The Death of Gaston de Foix at Ravenna'' by the 19th century artist Ary Scheffer | Ravenna ''Cosmography'' | province of Ravenna | Port of Ravenna | Maximianus of Ravenna | Camp Ravenna Joint Military Training Center | Apollinaris of Ravenna |
On the right is a mosaic depicting the East Roman Emperor Justinian I, clad in Tyrian purple with a golden halo, standing next to court officials, Bishop Maximian, palatinae guards and deacons.