Cneo Malio Máximo

Cneo Malio Máximo (in Latin, Cnaeus Mallius Maximus) was a politician and military of the Roman Republic. Malio Maximo was a Homo novus, that is to say, a man coming from the rural nobility rather than from the Roman aristocracy. Gnaeus Malius granted himself the cognomen of Maximus, which was a real provocation for the Roman aristocratic class. Despite his status as a new man, Malio Maximo was elected consul in 105 BC. C. together with Publio Rutilio Rufo, winning in the elections to Quinto Lutacio Cátulo. Cicero represents Malius as a complete useless. It was awarded the province of Gaul Transalpina.

When Malio arrived in his province, he encountered a total lack of cooperation on the part of the consul of the previous year, Quintus Servilius Cepion. Cepion did not cooperate with Malio when he considered him an arribist, something totally unacceptable to the aristocrat, and refused to yield to the command of his troops. Therefore when the Cimbri arrived, they found two disunited armies under the orders of two generals totally inept militarily. The battle waged on October 6, 105 BC. C. and that later would be known as Battle of Arausio became not only in a defeat, but in a defeat so resounding for the Romans that few survivors escaped. Malio Máximo lost his sons in battle and when he arrived in Rome he was tried and convicted on charges of "loss of his army". It was defended by Marco Antonio the Speaker.

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