Quintus Maecius Laetus was a Roman eques who flourished during the reign of the emperor Septimius Severus and his sons. He was appointed to a series of imperial offices, including praefectus or governor of Roman Egypt, and praetorian prefect. He is also known to have been consul in the year 215 as the colleague of Marcus Munatius Sulla Cerialis.Paul M. M. Leunissen, Konsuln und Konsulare in der Zeit von Commodus bis Severus Alexander (Amsterdam: J.C. Gieben, 1989), p. 136
The origins of Maecius Laetus are unknown. He is documented to have been governor of Roman Egypt from 200 to 203.Guido Bastianini, "Lista dei prefetti d'Egitto dal 30a al 299p", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 17 (1975), p. 304 Eusebius alludes to a persecution of Christians during his prefecture, dating it to the tenth year of Septimius Severus' reign.Historia Ecclesiastica vi.2
In 205 Laetus, together with Aemilius Papinianus, succeeded Gaius Fulvius Plautianus as praetorian prefect, remaining in this office until as late as 211. = ILS 2187 As a tribute to his loyalty and skill, he was adlected into the Senate, and afterwards acceded to the consulate. It is unclear whether Maecius Laetus had earlier received consular ornaments or was adlected inter consulares.
References
Further reading Sandra Scheuble-Reiter, "Ein Brief des Präfekten Q. Maecius Laetus an die Strategen der Heptanomia und des Arsinoites mit Aufforderung zur Deklaration von Schiffen – eine Neuedition von PSI X 1155", Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 200 (2016), pp. 443-452