Gordian III

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Gordian III
Emperor of the Roman Empire
Bust Gordianus III Louvre Ma1063.jpg
Bust of Gordian III, between 242 and 244
Reign 22 April – 29 July 238
(as Caesar to Pupienus
and Balbinus);
29 July 238 – 11 February 244 (sole, nominally, though government done by senate)
Full name Marcus Antonius Gordianus? (from birth to accession as Caesar);
Marcus Antonius Gordianus Caesar (from accession as Caesar to sole emperor);
Caesar Marcus Antonius Gordianus Augustus (as sole emperor)
Born January 20 225(225-01-20)
Died 11 February 244 (aged 19)
Zaitha
Predecessor Pupienus and Balbinus
Successor Philip the Arab
Father Junius Licinius Balbus, Roman Senator
Mother Antonia Gordiana

Marcus Antonius Gordianus (January 20 225 – February 11, 244), known in English as Gordian III, was Roman Emperor from 238 to 244. Gordian was the son of Antonia Gordiana and his father was an unnamed Roman Senator who died before 238. Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of Emperor Gordian I and younger sister of Emperor Gordian II. His younger sister was called Gordiana. Very little is known on his early life before becoming emperor. Gordian had assumed the name of his maternal grandfather in 238. While responding to a threat to the Eastern provinces of the empire from the Sassanid Empire, he died or was murdered during a battle with the enemy. He was succeeded by Philip the Arab, then prefect of the Praetorian Guard.

Gordian III died before he could leave his mark on history, even though he was for a little more than half a decade one of the most powerful men in the world. Gordian's reign forms part of the declining days of the empire, although in terms of the cultural development of the European space which owes so much to the legacy of Rome, the Empire had yet to transform itself from a pagan to a Christian state. At the very least, Gordian III helped the empire survive a little longer. It had yet to enter the final phrase of its history. Although the Western empire would not last beyond the end of the next century, this was long enough for the Christian Church to lay down solid foundations that could shape a new Europe. The Europe that emerged from the ruins of the Roman empire cherished common values despite political fragmentation, because its foundation rested on a shared faith that did not depend on political structures.


Historical Context

Gordian III became emperor at the beginning of what has been called the "crisis of the third century." It followed the murder of Alexander Severus in 235. This was a period of instability and of short imperial reigns; between 235 C.E. and 284 C.E. no fewer than 25 different emperors ruled Rome. Instability was initially caused by lack of agreed rules of succession, which resulted in competition and conflict between rival claimants after each emperor's death. This seriously weakened the empire, leading to some conquered provinces revolting and inviting invasion from outside. During this period of crises, the empire came close to collapse. External danger came from the Germanic tribes and from the Sassanid Empire. Outbreak of smallpox towards the mid-point of the century did not help. By then, three competing states had formed within the "empire" and it was not until the reign of Aurelian that the empire was re-united.

Rise to power

Following the murder of emperor Alexander Severus in Moguntiacum (modern Mainz) by his own troops, the army proclaimed Maximinus Thrax, an officer who had worked his way up through the ranks. In response to what was considered in Rome as a rebellion, Gordian's grandfather and uncle, Gordian I and II, were proclaimed joint emperors in the Africa Province. Their revolt was suppressed within a month by Cappellianus, governor of Numidia and a loyal supporter of Maximinus Thrax. The elder Gordians died but the younger survived.

Meanwhile, Maximinus was on the verge of marching on Rome and the Senate elected Pupienus and Balbinus as joint emperors. These senators were not popular men and the population of Rome was still shocked by the elder Gordian's fate, so that the Senate decided to take the teenager Gordian, rename him Marcus Antonius Gordianus as his grandfather, and raise him to the rank of Caesar and imperial heir. Pupienus and Balbinus defeated Maximinus, mainly due to the defection of several legions, namely the II Parthica who assassinated Maximinus. Their joint reign was doomed from the start with popular riots, military discontent and even an enormous fire that consumed Rome in June 238. On July 29, Pupienus and Balbinus were killed by the Praetorian guard and Gordian proclaimed sole emperor.

In the space of a few months six princes had been cut off by the sword. Gordian [III], who had already received the title of Cæsar, was the only person that occurred to the soldiers as proper to fill the vacant throne. They carried him to the camp and unanimously saluted him Augustus and Emperor. His name was dear to the senate and people; his tender age promised a long impunity of military licence; and the submission of Rome and the provinces to the choice of the Prætorian guards saved the republic, at the expense indeed of its freedom and dignity, from the horrors of a new civil war in the heart of the capital.[1]

Rule

His succession was supported by the Senate. Due to Gordian's age (he was 13), the imperial government was surrendered to the aristocratic families, who controlled the affairs of Rome through the senate. In 240, Sabinianus revolted in the African province, but the situation was dealt with quickly. In May 241, Gordian was married to Furia Sabina/Sabinia Tranquillina, daughter of the newly appointed praetorian prefect, Timesitheus. As chief of the Praetorian guard and father in law of the emperor, Timesitheus quickly became the de facto ruler of the Roman empire. They had an only daughter, Furia (b. ca 244), most likely posthumous, who married Marcus Maecius Orfitus (b. ca 245), son of Marcus Maecius Probus (b. ca 220), married to Pupiena Sextia Paulina Cethegilla (b. ca 225), paternal grandson of Marcus Pomponius Maecius Probus and maternal grandson of Marcus Pupienus Africanus (son of his protector Emperor Pupienus Maximus) and wife Cornelia Marullina, by whom she had issue.

Coin issued to celebrate the marriage of Gordian to Sabina Tranquillina, Augusta.

In the 3rd century, the Roman frontiers weakened against the Germanic tribes across the Rhine and Danube, and the Sassanid kingdom across the Euphrates increased its own attacks. When the Persians under Shapur I invaded Mesopotamia, the young emperor opened the doors of the Temple of Janus for the last time in Roman history, and sent a huge army to the East. The Sassanids were driven back over the Euphrates and defeated in the Battle of Resaena (243). The campaign was a success and Gordian, who had joined the army, was planning an invasion of the enemy's territory, when his father-in-law died in unclear circumstances. Without Timesitheus, the campaign, and the emperor's security, were at risk.

Marcus Julius Philippus, also known as Philip the Arab, stepped in at this moment as the new Praetorian Prefect and the campaign proceeded. In the beginning of 244, the Persians counter-attacked. Persian sources claim that a battle was fought (Battle of Misiche) near modern Fallujah (Iraq) and resulted in a major Roman defeat and the death of Gordian III. Roman sources do not mention this battle and suggest that Gordian died far away, upstream of the Euphrates. Although ancient sources often described Philip, who succeeded Gordian as emperor, as having murdered Gordian at Dura-Europos or Zaitha (Qalat es Salihiyah), the cause of Gordian's death is unknown. Zahran points out that Philip's leisureley journey to Rome to gain the Senate's confirmation of his succession "is not the action of a man rushing to placate the Senate and conceal a crime."</ref>Zahran, Yasmine. 2001. Philip the Arab: A Study in Prejudice. The Arabian library. London, UK: Stacey. ISBN 9781900988285. page 62.</ref>

Legacy

Gordian's youth and good nature, along with the deaths of his grandfather and uncle and his own tragic fate at the hands of another usurper, earned him the esteem of the Roman people. Despite the opposition of the new emperor, Gordian was deified by the Senate after his death, in order to appease the population and avoid riots. However, for most of the century, emperors reigned for very short period. Philip the Arab only survived until 249, when he fell in battle to a usurper. Philip may have the distinction of being Rome's first Christian emperor, although he did not legalize the faith. That task fell to Constantine I. His son was murdered the same year. Gordian III did not really have time to leave his mark on history, even though he was for a little more than half a decade one of the most powerful men in the world at the time. Gordian's reign forms part of the declining days of the empire, although in terms of the cultural development of the European space that owes so much to the legacy of Rome, the Empire had yet to transform itself from a pagan to a Christian state. Gordian III, at the very least, symbolically headed and to some degree enabled the survival of what was culturally a unified space, across which religious beliefs, philosophical ideas and many common values bound people together. It would take almost half a century until political unity would be restored. The next century would see the legalization of Christianity (313) followed by the Church's establishment as the state religion (380). The Western empire only survived the onslaught of pagans from over its borders for another century. By then, the Church had taken root and was mature enough as an institution to shape a new Europe from the ruins of the Roman world. Effectively, it was the only institution strong enough to restore order to Europe after the end of the Roman period.


References
ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

  • This article incorporates text from the Encyclopædia Britannica Eleventh Edition, a publication now in the public domain.
  • Gibbon, Edward, and Hans-Friedrich Mueller. 2003. The decline and fall of the Roman Empire. New York: Modern Library. ISBN 9780375758119.
  • Herodian, and C. R. Whittaker. 1969. Herodian: in two volumes. London: Heinemann. ISBN 9780434994540.
  • Sartre, Maurice. 2005. The Middle East under Rome. Cambridge, Mass: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press. ISBN 9780674016835.
  • Spoerri, Marguerite. 2006. Roman provincial coinage. Vol. 7, Gordian I to Gordian III - province of Asia (AD 235-8). London: British Museum. ISBN 9780714118130.


External links

  1. Gibbon, Edward, and J. B. Bury. 1914. The history of the decline and fall of the Roman empire. New York: Macmillan. page 204.



Preceded by:
Pupienus and Balbinus
Roman Emperor
238–244
Succeeded by: Philip the Arab

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