Gordian III

Names:

• 20 January 225 or 226: Marcus Antonius Gordianus 
• 1 February 238: Marcus Antonius Gordianus Caesar 
• 9 May 238: Imperator Caesar Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius Felix Augustus 
• February (?) 244: killed in action

Relatives:

• father: Junius Balbus
• mother: Maecia Faustina (daughter of Gordianus I)
• married to: Tranquillina

Main deeds:

• 225 or 226: Born in Rome
• 238 Adopted as caesar by Pupienus and Balbinus, becomes emperor when they are killed
• 239 Consul (with M' Acilius Aviola)
• 240 Revolt of Marcus Asinius Sabianus in Carthage; soon suppressed by the governor of Mauretania
• 241 Consul II (with Clodius Pompeianus); in the Sasanian Empire, Shapur becomes king; Gordianus marries Tranquillina, daughter of Timesitheus, the praetorian prefect
• 242 Crosses to Asia
• 243 Beginning of the war against the Sasanian king Shapur I; Timesitheus achieves some successes
• 244 Reopening of the Gate of Janus; takes part in the Persian war (the philosopher Plotinus belongs to his army); victorious in Mesopotamia, attacks Ctesiphon, defeated, lynched by soldiers

Succeeded by: Philippus Arabs, his praetorian prefect

Buidings: expanded barracks for the soldiers of the Misenum navy in Rome

Links:

• biography included in the Historia Augusta,
• Herodian's History of the Roman Empire (Book 7 and 8)
• Shapur's triumph relief at Darabgird
• Shapur's investiture relief at Bishapur
• Shapur's triumph relief at Bishapur