Maecia Faustina is the name given by the unreliable ancient text ''

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 ...

'' for the daughter of Roman emperor

Gordian I 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, he was defeated in battle and committed suicide after ...

, sister of Gordian II, and mother of

Gordian III Gordian III (; 20 January 225 – February 244) was Roman emperor from 238 to 244. At the age of 13, he became the youngest sole emperor of the united Roman Empire. Gordian was the son of Maecia Faustina and her husband Junius Balbus, who d ...

. However, some modern historians dismiss this name as false and have instead called her Antonia Gordiana. She was a prominent and wealthy woman who lived in the troubled and unstable 3rd century and through her son had a massive influence on Roman politics.

Biography

She was most probably born in

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. Along with her elder brother, she was raised and spent her childhood in the house that Roman Republican general

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...

had built in Rome. Previous owners included Roman

triumvir In the Roman Republic, or were commissions of three men appointed for specific tasks. There were many tasks that commissions could be established to conduct, such as administer justice, mint coins, support religious tasks, or found colonies. M ...

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 ...

and Roman emperor

Tiberius Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus ( ; 16 November 42 BC – 16 March AD 37) was Roman emperor from AD 14 until 37. He succeeded his stepfather Augustus, the first Roman emperor. Tiberius was born in Rome in 42 BC to Roman politician Tiberius Cl ...

. After 214, Maecia married a Roman

senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or Legislative chamber, chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the Ancient Rome, ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior ...

whose name is unknown. The ''Augustan History'' names her husband as Junius Balbus, however modern historians dismiss this name as being incorrect. She bore her husband a son on 20 January 225, the future emperor Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius, or Gordian III. The birth name and birthplace of Gordian III are unknown, the name of Gordian was assumed by Maecia's son when he became emperor. Maecia's husband died before 238. After the brief reigns of her father and brother, the Roman Senate in April appointed two senators, Balbinus and Pupienus, as joint emperors. During their brief reign, Maecia's son became popular with Roman citizens and the joint emperors were forced to adopt the child as their heir. On 29 July 238, Balbinus and Pupienus were both murdered by the

Praetorian Guard The Praetorian Guard (Latin language, Latin: ''cohortes praetoriae'') was the imperial guard of the Imperial Roman army that served various roles for the Roman emperor including being a bodyguard unit, counterintelligence, crowd control and ga ...

; later that day her son became the new emperor. There is a possibility that Maecia might have bribed the Guards to murder the joint emperors, so that her son could become emperor. To maintain the goodwill of the Senate, Gordian III assumed the name of his maternal grandfather and uncle. The political factions that supported Maecia's father and brother also supported her son. Through them, she was able to assist her son in directing affairs and together they sought to reform policies covering administration, fiscal affairs, and the Roman army. Efforts were made to limit the taxes on wealthy and notable Romans. Attention was directed to strengthening defences along the empire's borders and Roman governors were prosecuted if they abused Roman taxes and their powers in governing the provinces. In 241, her son appointed the able and efficient Timesitheus as prefect of the

. Later, in May of that year, Gordian married Timesitheus' daughter Tranquillina, who became Roman empress. Timesitheus died in 243, and Gordian appointed the ambitious

Philip the Arab Philip I (; – September 249), commonly known as Philip the Arab, was Roman emperor from 244 to 249. After the death of Gordian III in February 244, Philip, who had been Praetorian prefect, rose to power. He quickly negotiated peace with the S ...

as the new prefect. In February 244, Gordian died of unknown causes. Gordian either died in battle or was possibly murdered on the orders of Philip. Philip was then proclaimed the new emperor. Gordian III's wife and daughter survived him. The fate of Maecia after her son's death is unknown.

Family tree

References

Sources

* http://www.roman-emperors.org/gordo1.htm * http://www.roman-emperors.org/gordo3.htm * http://www.fofweb.com/Onfiles/Ancient/AncientDetail.asp?iPin=AGRW0295 * http://gordianiiirpc.ancients.info/reign%20of%20gordian.html {{DEFAULTSORT:Faustina, Maecia 3rd-century Roman women 201 births Date of death unknown Antonii Maecii Gordian dynasty Daughters of Roman emperors Mothers of Roman emperors European people whose existence is disputed People from the Roman Empire whose existence is disputed