Historical eventMay 31455

Petronius Maximus

Petronius Maximus, the ruler of the Western Roman Empire, was stoned to death by a mob as he fled Rome before Vandal forces arrived and sacked the city.

In context

When
Tuesday, May 31 4551571 years ago
Category
Historical eventA dated happening — a battle, treaty, launch, discovery, disaster or decision — recorded on this calendar day.
Era
5th century · 450s
Calendar
Julian — as recorded at the time
Recorded from
Wikipedia “On this day” feed

Dates before 15 October 1582 are in the Julian calendar, so the weekday shown follows the Julian reckoning of the time.

At a glance

Dates: From 455.

What happened

Petronius Maximus was Roman emperor of the West for two and a half months in 455. A wealthy senator and a prominent aristocrat, he was instrumental in the murders of the Western Roman magister militum, Aëtius, and the Western Roman emperor, Valentinian III.

May 31 through the years

Other entries on the same calendar day, in order.

  1. 455Petronius Maximus
  2. 2008Space Shuttle Discovery
  3. 2008Usain Bolt
  4. 2009George Tiller
  5. 2010Shayetet 13
  6. 20132013 El Reno tornado
  7. 2013Asteroid
  8. 2016Syrian civil war
  9. 2017May 2017 Kabul bombing
  10. 20192019 Virginia Beach shooting
  11. 20262026 Namhkam Township explosion

Sources

Cite this page

“Petronius Maximus”, What's On This Date, https://whatsonthisdate.com/app/event/petronius-maximus-455-may-31, accessed October 29, 2026.

Cite the underlying source as well — the source links above go to the record this entry is adapted from.

Questions about this entry

When did Petronius Maximus happen?

May 31 455 — 1571 years ago, on a Tuesday.

Is this a Julian or a Gregorian date?

It is the date as recorded at the time, on the Julian calendar. The Gregorian equivalent falls about ten days later; sources from different countries may give either.

Where does this text come from?

Wikipedia “On this day” feed. Summaries are short adaptations that link back to the source, not reprints.

How do I cite this page?

Use the ready-made citation near the sources at the bottom of the page, and follow the source link to cite the underlying record as well.

Text adapted from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0 and from Wikidata (CC0). Images come from Wikimedia Commons; credit and licence are shown with each image. Editorial entries are © What's On This Date. Sources & licensing · How this site works.