Maximian was a relative of
Donatus of
Casae Nigrae and was one of several people excommunicated in 391 by
Primian,
Bishop of Carthage. Primian was a great
orator and thinker, but tactless and within a year had alienated large parts of the church. In 393 AD a council of more than 100
Donatist bishops elected Maximian to replace Primian as Bishop of Carthages. Primian held a rival council in
Bagai in April 394AD and
excommunicated Maximian. Primian, a former lawyer, also used the civil courts to reclaim church buildings. The schism that enveloped around Maximian was the largest
splintering within the Donatist movement. He took a less confrontational approach, and sought to reform the movement. However, it attracted limited adherents. ==References==