GORDIAN III THE Pious Marcus Antonius Gordianus April 22, 23 - Lot 240

GORDIAN III THE Pious Marcus Antonius Gordianus April 22, 238 - February 11, 244 IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG. His bust laurelled, cuirassed and draped right. R/. VIRTVTI AVGSTI. Nude Hercules standing right, leaning on his club and holding the skin of the Nemean lion. ♦ Cohen 401/80 frs or; RIC 108; Calicó 3242 Aureus struck in Rome in 241-243. (4,76 g) Wide flan. A very fine example. Gordian III was born on January 20, 225 and died on February 11, 244. He was Roman emperor during the period known as the "Military Anarchy". Born into a senatorial family from Asia Minor, he was the nephew of Gordian II and the grandson of Gordian I, both of whom were acclaimed emperor in 238 following a tax revolt in Proconsular Africa. After this revolt was crushed in Carthage by the legate of Numidia, two senators, Pupian and Balbin, succeeded them in Rome to face Maximin I the Thracian, who was beginning to move towards Italy from the Danube with his elite troops. The people of Rome asked for Gordian III to join them, and he was made Caesar by the two emperors on April 22. So, when the Praetorians eliminated Pupien and Balbin in the summer of 238, they had Gordian recognized as emperor. At first, Gordian III reigned under the direction of his relatives and close senators, not least because of his young age (he was 13 in 238). On various inscriptions, he appears associated with Balbin and Pupien with the title of Prince of Youth.