Latin writer, flourished in the reign of Tiberius. Author of a collection of historical ancedotes, Nine Books of Memorable Deeds and Sayings, based heavily on the writings of Cicero, Livy, Sallust and Pompeius Trogus. From the style of the writing, Valerius Maximus was probably a professional rhetorician. The stories are intended to be used in schools of rhetoric, where pupils learned to embellish speeches with references to history. Most of the tales are from Roman history, though stories of other peoples are included, most notably the Greeks.