Ercole Massimo

Enrico Massimo (1474-1506) was a Roman noble and a leading member of the Hermeticists, or Cult of Hermes during the early 16th century.

History
In 1506, he ordered a team of his hermeticists to distract Salaì, Leonardo da Vinci's assistant, while another group kidnapped the latter, as he knew the location of Pythagorian Temple.

He later met up with Patrizio Colonna at his palazzo in the Vaticano district of Rome to negotiate the sale of one of Da Vinci's paintings - which he had been given by his former lover, Lucrezia Borgia -, one the five which Leonardo had hidden his map to the temple upon. However, Patrizio refused, saying no one should possess it, as Lucrezia had lured him into loving her, and threw it to the ground, preparing to destroy it. Before he could, Enrico had him stabbed in the back by one of the hermeticists. Enrico then handed it to the hermeticist, telling him to handle it with care, to respect the mind who made it.

After losing all five of the paintings, he managed to find the temple entrance in a series of catacombs. He interrogated Leonardo on how to get inside, but he refused to talk. Before Leonardo could be seriously hurt, his old friend, Ezio Auditore da Firenze - the Grand Master of the Assassin Order - arrived. Enrico greeted Ezio, and tried to get him to persuade Leonardo, and Ezio asked sarcastically if Enrico wold rather Ezio used his fists or his knife. Enrico replied that he wanted it to be as pleasant a situation as he did, but sent several hermeticists to combat Ezio as a precaution. After Ezio defeated each, Enrico threw another hermeticist to defend him, but he died on impact with the ground, and knocked a chunk of rubble down for Ezio to climb in the process. Realizing his inevitable end, Enrico tried desperately to plead with Ezio, saying that they were allies, but Ezio ignored him, stabbing him with his hidden blade. As he lay dying in Ezio's arms, he voiced his shock that an Assassin like Ezio was "an enemy of knowledge". Ezio retorted that one must be free to find the truth for themselves, rather than be forced into it. Enrico reasoned that he had only wanted to free and protect the people from dictation and war with knowledge. But Ezio said he wished Enrico to know the truth in death, as Enrico died. He and Leonardo then proceeded to explore the temple.