Gordian III

Names:

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

Successor of: Pupienus and Balbinus

Relatives:

• father: Junius Balbus
• mother: Maecia Faustina (daughter of Gordian 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 Opens the Gate of Janus; activities on the Danube;^note[Historia Augusta, Three Gordians 26.4.] crosses to Asia
• 243 Beginning of the war against the Sasanian king Shapur I; Timesitheus achieves some successes
• 244 Takes part in the Persian war (the philosopher Plotinus belongs to his army); victorious in Mesopotamia, attacks Ctesiphon, defeated, lynched by soldiers

Legions: III Gallica reconstituted; III Augusta disbanded

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