Capelianus was a Roman governor of the province of

Numidia Numidia was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunisia and Libya. The polity was originally divided between ...

in the 3rd century, and commander of the army that defeated and killed Gordian II in 238, the Year of the Six Emperors. Herodian relates that he had an existing animosity towards Gordian, on account of an unspecified lawsuit. Gordian, on his acclamation as co-emperor with his father Gordian I (governor of the neighbouring province of

Africa Africa is the world's second-largest and second-most populous continent after Asia. At about 30.3 million km2 (11.7 million square miles) including adjacent islands, it covers 20% of Earth's land area and 6% of its total surfac ...

), ordered the replacement of Capelianus. The latter refused to go quietly, however, and took an army to

Carthage Carthage was an ancient city in Northern Africa, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classic ...

, where his numerically superior and well-trained forces (Numidia, in contrast to Africa, was well-garrisoned against

Berber Berber or Berbers may refer to: Ethnic group * Berbers, an ethnic group native to Northern Africa * Berber languages, a family of Afro-Asiatic languages Places * Berber, Sudan, a town on the Nile People with the surname * Ady Berber (1913–196 ...

raids) easily defeated those of Gordian. He then allowed his soldiers free rein to pillage Africa, hoping to maintain their favour in the event of an opportunity to make a bid for emperor himself. Such an opportunity presumably never arose, as he disappears from the historical record from that point.Herodian, History of the Roman Empire 7.9

References

{{Reflist Ancient Roman generals Crisis of the Third Century 3rd-century Romans Ancient Roman governors