Gordian I (; 158 – April 238) was
Roman emperor for 22 days with his son
Gordian II in 238, the
Year of the Six Emperors. Caught up in a rebellion against the Emperor
Maximinus Thrax
Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus "Thrax" () was a Roman emperor from 235 to 238. Born of Thracian origin – given the nickname ''Thrax'' ("the Thracian") – he rose up through the military ranks, ultimately holding high command in the army of th ...
, he was defeated in battle and committed suicide after the death of his son, having had the second shortest reign in imperial history.
Family and background
Gordian I was said to be related to prominent senators of his time. His praenomen and nomen ''Marcus Antonius'' suggested that his paternal ancestors received
Roman citizenship under the
triumvir Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman people, Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the Crisis of the Roman Republic, transformation of the Roman Republic ...
, or one of his daughters, during the late
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( ) was the era of Ancient Rome, classical Roman civilisation beginning with Overthrow of the Roman monarchy, the overthrow of the Roman Kingdom (traditionally dated to 509 BC) and ending in 27 BC with the establis ...
. Gordian's cognomen ‘Gordianus’ also indicates that his family origins were from
Anatolia
Anatolia (), also known as Asia Minor, is a peninsula in West Asia that makes up the majority of the land area of Turkey. It is the westernmost protrusion of Asia and is geographically bounded by the Mediterranean Sea to the south, the Aegean ...
, more specifically
Galatia or
Cappadocia.
According to the ''
Historia Augusta
The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, Caesar (title), designated heirs and Roman usurper, usurpers from 117 to 284. S ...
'', his mother was a Roman woman called Ulpia Gordiana and his father was the senator Maecius Marullus.
While modern historians have dismissed his father's name as false, there may be some truth behind the identity of his mother. Gordian's family history can be guessed through inscriptions. The name ''Sempronianus'' in his name, for instance, may indicate a connection to his mother or grandmother. In
Ankara
Ankara is the capital city of Turkey and List of national capitals by area, the largest capital by area in the world. Located in the Central Anatolia Region, central part of Anatolia, the city has a population of 5,290,822 in its urban center ( ...
, Turkey, a funeral inscription has been found that names a ''Sempronia Romana'', daughter of a named ''Sempronius Aquila'' (an imperial secretary). Romana erected this undated funeral inscription to her husband (whose name is lost), who died as a
praetor
''Praetor'' ( , ), also ''pretor'', was the title granted by the government of ancient Rome to a man acting in one of two official capacities: (i) the commander of an army, and (ii) as an elected ''magistratus'' (magistrate), assigned to disch ...
-designate.
French historian
Christian Settipani has conjectured that Gordian I's parents were Marcus Antonius (b. ca 135), ''tr. pl.'', ''praet. des.'', and wife Sempronia Romana (b. ca 140), daughter of Titus Flavius Sempronius Aquila (b. ca 115), ''Secretarius
ab epistulis Graecis'', and wife Claudia (b. ca 120), daughter of an unknown father and his wife
Claudia Tisamenis (b. ca 100), sister of
Herodes Atticus.
It appears in this family tree that the person who was related to Herodes Atticus was Gordian I's mother or grandmother and not his wife. But the late
Antony Birley stated that the question remains open.
Also according to the ''Historia'', the wife of Gordian I was a Roman woman called
Fabia Orestilla,
born circa 165, whom the ''
Historia Augusta
The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, Caesar (title), designated heirs and Roman usurper, usurpers from 117 to 284. S ...
'' claims was a descendant of emperors
Antoninus Pius
Titus Aelius Hadrianus Antoninus Pius (; ; 19 September 86 – 7 March 161) was Roman emperor from AD 138 to 161. He was the fourth of the Five Good Emperors from the Nerva–Antonine dynasty.
Born into a senatorial family, Antoninus held var ...
and
Marcus Aurelius
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus ( ; ; 26 April 121 – 17 March 180) was Roman emperor from 161 to 180 and a Stoicism, Stoic philosopher. He was a member of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty, the last of the rulers later known as the Five Good Emperors ...
through her father Fulvus Antoninus.
Modern historians have dismissed this name and her information as false.
With his wife, Gordian I had at least two children: a son of the same name and a daughter,
Maecia Faustina (who was the mother of the future Emperor
Gordian III). His wife died before 238. Christian Settipani identified her parents as Marcus Annius Severus, who was a Suffect
Consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...
, and his wife Silvana, born circa 140, who was the daughter of
Lucius Plautius Lamia Silvanus and his wife Aurelia Fadilla, the daughter of Antoninus Pius and wife Annia Galeria Faustina or
Faustina the Elder.
Early life
Gordian steadily climbed the Roman imperial hierarchy when he became part of the
Roman Senate
The Roman Senate () was the highest and constituting assembly of ancient Rome and its aristocracy. With different powers throughout its existence it lasted from the first days of the city of Rome (traditionally founded in 753 BC) as the Sena ...
. His political career started relatively late in his life and his early years were probably spent in rhetoric and literary studies. As a military man, Gordian commanded the
Legio IV Scythica when the legion was stationed in
Syria
Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
. He served as governor of
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the territory that became the Roman province of ''Britannia'' after the Roman conquest of Britain, consisting of a large part of the island of Great Britain. The occupation lasted from AD 43 to AD 410.
Julius Caes ...
in 216 and was a suffect consul sometime during the reign of
Elagabalus. Inscriptions in Roman Britain bearing his name were partially erased suggesting some form of imperial displeasure during this role.
While he gained unbounded popularity on account of the magnificent games and shows he produced as
aedile, his prudent and retired life did not excite the suspicion of
Caracalla
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (; ), was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then r ...
, in whose honor he wrote a long epic poem called "Antoninias". Gordian certainly retained his wealth and political clout during the chaotic times of the Severan dynasty which suggests a personal dislike for intrigue.
Philostratus dedicated his work ''Lives of the Sophists'' to either him or his son, Gordian II.
Rise to power

During the reign of
Alexander Severus
Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (1 October 208 – March 235), also known as Alexander Severus, was Roman emperor from 222 until 235. He was the last emperor from the Severan dynasty. Alexander took power in 222, when he succeeded his slain co ...
, Gordian I (who was by then in his late sixties), after serving his suffect consulship prior to 223, drew lots for the
proconsul
A proconsul was an official of ancient Rome who acted on behalf of a Roman consul, consul. A proconsul was typically a former consul. The term is also used in recent history for officials with delegated authority.
In the Roman Republic, military ...
ar governorship of the province of
Africa Proconsularis
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 ...
[ Herodian, 7:5] which he assumed in 237. However, prior to the commencement of his
promagistrature, Maximinus Thrax killed Alexander Severus at
Moguntiacum in
Germania Inferior
''Germania Inferior'' ("Lower Germania") was a Roman province from AD 85 until the province was renamed ''Germania Secunda'' in the 4th century AD, on the west bank of the Rhine bordering the North Sea. The capital of the province was Colonia Cl ...
and assumed the throne.
Maximinus was not a popular emperor and universal discontent increased due to his oppressive rule.
It culminated in a revolt in Africa in 238 (the exact month is unknown). After Maximinus' fiscal curator was murdered in a riot, people turned to Gordian and demanded that he accept the dangerous honor of the imperial throne. Gordian, who was about 80 years according to
Herodian, eventually yielded to the popular clamour and assumed both the purple and the ''
cognomen
A ''cognomen'' (; : ''cognomina''; from ''co-'' "together with" and ''(g)nomen'' "name") was the third name of a citizen of ancient Rome, under Roman naming conventions. Initially, it was a nickname, but lost that purpose when it became hereditar ...
'' "Africanus".
According to
Edward Gibbon
Edward Gibbon (; 8 May 173716 January 1794) was an English essayist, historian, and politician. His most important work, ''The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'', published in six volumes between 1776 and 1789, is known for ...
:
An iniquitous sentence had been pronounced against some opulent youths of frica the execution of which would have stripped them of far the greater part of their patrimony. (...) A respite of three days, obtained with difficulty from the rapacious treasurer, was employed in collecting from their estates a great number of slaves and peasants blindly devoted to the commands of their lords and armed with the rustic weapons of clubs and axes. The leaders of the conspiracy, as they were admitted to the audience of the procurator, stabbed him with the daggers concealed under their garments, and, by the assistance of their tumultuary train, seized on the little town of Thysdrus, and erected the standard of rebellion against the sovereign of the Roman empire. (...) Gordianus, their proconsul, and the object of their choice s emperor refused, with unfeigned reluctance, the dangerous honour, and begged with tears that they should suffer him to terminate in peace a long and innocent life, without staining his feeble age with civil blood. Their menaces compelled him to accept the Imperial purple, his only refuge indeed against the jealous cruelty of Maximin (...).[Gibbon, Vol. I, Ch. 7]
Due to his advanced age, he insisted that his son be associated with him. A few days later, Gordian entered the city of
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 ...
with the overwhelming support of the population and local political leaders. Gordian I sent
assassins to kill Maximinus'
praetorian prefect,
Publius Aelius Vitalianus, and the rebellion seemed to be successful.
[Potter, pg. 169] Gordian, in the meantime, had sent an embassy to Rome, under the leadership of
Publius Licinius Valerianus, to obtain the Senate's support for his rebellion.
[Potter, pg. 169] The Senate confirmed the new emperor and many of the provinces gladly sided with Gordian.
[Potter, pg. 170] This event is sometimes dated to 2 April, but this is only based on a passage of the ''
Historia Augusta
The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, Caesar (title), designated heirs and Roman usurper, usurpers from 117 to 284. S ...
'', nowadays considered highly unreliable, that told about an eclipse presaging the imminent fall of the Gordians.
[
Opposition came from the neighboring 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 ...
. Capelianus, governor of Numidia and a loyal supporter of Maximinus Thrax, held a grudge against Gordian[Potter, pg. 170] and invaded the African province with the only legion stationed in the region, III ''Augusta'', and other veteran units. Gordian II, at the head of a militia army of untrained soldiers, lost the Battle of Carthage and was killed,[Potter, pg. 170] and Gordian I killed himself by hanging himself with his belt. The Gordians had ruled only 22 days, the 2nd shortest reign of any Roman emperor behind Quintillus who ruled for 17 days during the crisis of the 3rd century.[ Symeon Logothete ( 970)]
''Chronographia''
CSHB, 75. "Maximus
Maximus (Hellenised as Maximos) is the Latin term for "greatest" or "largest". In this connection it may refer to:
* Circus Maximus (disambiguation)
* Pontifex maximus, the highest priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome
People Roman hi ...
and Balbinus ruled 22 days", actually the two Gordians. This is followed by Zonaras ( 1120) ''Epitome
An epitome (; , from ἐπιτέμνειν ''epitemnein'' meaning "to cut short") is a summary or miniature form, or an instance that represents a larger reality, also used as a synonym for embodiment. Epitomacy represents "to the degree of." A ...
'
xvii.17
"According to some they reigned about twenty-two days, but according to others not quite three months". Gordian I was the first emperor to commit suicide since Otho in 69 during the Year of the Four Emperors.
Legacy
Gordian's positive reputation can be attributed to his reportedly amiable character. Both he and his son were said to be fond of literature, even publishing their own voluminous works. While they were strongly interested in intellectual pursuits, they possessed neither the necessary skills nor resources to be considered able statesmen or powerful rulers. Having embraced the cause of Gordian, the Senate was obliged to continue the revolt against Maximinus following Gordian's death, appointing Pupienus and Balbinus as joint emperors. Nevertheless, by the end of 238, the recognised emperor would be Gordian III, Gordian I's grandson.
Family tree
References
Sources
Ancient sources
* Herodian
''Roman History, Book 7''
* Historia Augusta
The ''Historia Augusta'' (English: ''Augustan History'') is a late Roman collection of biographies, written in Latin, of the Roman emperors, their junior colleagues, Caesar (title), designated heirs and Roman usurper, usurpers from 117 to 284. S ...
''The Three Gordians''
* Aurelius Victor
''Epitome de Caesaribus''
* Joannes Zonaras, Compendium of Histor
extract: ''Zonaras: Alexander Severus to Diocletian: 222–284''
* Zosimus
''Historia Nova''
Modern sources
*
* Gibbon, Edward, '' Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire'' (1888)
*
*
* Potter, David Stone, ''The Roman Empire at Bay, AD 180–395'', Routledge, 2004
*
* Syme, Ronald, ''Emperors and Biography'', Oxford University Press, 1971
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Gordian 01
150s births
238 deaths
3rd-century Roman emperors
Crisis of the Third Century
Suffect consuls of Imperial Rome
Roman governors of Britain
Deified Roman emperors
Heads of state who died by suicide
Suicides in Ancient Rome
Suicides by hanging in Tunisia
Antonii
Gordian dynasty
Royalty who died by suicide