Final answer:
Maximus is a character associated with various tactics depending on the historical or legendary context, often involving strategic military actions or cunning plans to balance power inequalities.
Step-by-step explanation:
Maximus was a character involved in various historical and legendary narratives, and the precise tactics he was hired to employ differed depending on the context of the reference. In one narrative, Maximus could refer to a general involved in Roman affairs, similar to Julius Caesar who was famous for crossing the Rubicon with his army, an act symbolized by the phrase "the die is cast". Caesar engaged in military strategies wherein he aligned himself as the champion of the common people against the corrupt senate, using his popularity with the troops and commoners to justify his actions for power. Maximus could also be a figure resembling Maternus, who, realizing he could not match Commodus and his support from the Praetorian Guard in a direct conflict, preferred to employ guile and cunning, planning to use the festivities of the Magna Mater to his advantage.
In other contexts, Maximus might be compared to strategic leaders such as Philip of Macedon, who innovated military tactics with his phalanx and cavalry charging strategy, or to military strategists referred to by Sun Tzu, emphasizing the importance of concentration of forces and surprise.