Maximus the Confessor

Maximus the Confessor (Greek: Μάξιμος ὁ Ὁμολογητής) also known as Maximus the Theologian and Maximus of Constantinople (c. 580 – 13 August 662) was a Christian monk, theologian, and scholar.

In his early life, Maximus was a civil servant, and an aide to the Byzantine Emperor Herakleios. However, he gave up this life in the political sphere to enter into the monastic life. After moving to Carthage, Maximus studied several Neo-Platonist writers and became a prominent author. When one of his friends began espousing the Christological position known as Monothelitism, Maximus was drawn into the controversy, in which he supported the Chalcedonian position that Jesus had both a human and a divine will. Maximus is venerated in both Eastern Christianity and Western Christianity. His Christological positions eventually resulted in his arrest, torture and exile on the orders of Emperor Constans II in 653. He was tried again in 662. Refusing to recant, he had his tongue cut out and his right hand removed, and was again exiled to Central Asia, where he died not long after. He was anathemized, but was subsequently vindicated at the Third Council of Constantinople.

Maximus the Confessor in Justinian
Justinian II described his grandfather's seizure and exile of Maximus the Confessor and Pope Martin I. Justinian was also exiled to Kherson during the course of his life. He concluded from that experience that Constans II must have been a hard man indeed to send both Martin and Maximus there.

Both Maximus and Pope Martin were vindicated at the Third Council of Constantinople. However, when those present wanted to then anathemize Herakleios and Constans II, Justinian II, then not yet twelve, loudly forbade the bishops from doing so.