GORDIAN III 238 -244 AD SESTERTIUS , ROMAN PROVINCIAL, 18.5 grams-30 mm. Gordian III(Latin:Marcus Antonius Gordianus; 20 January 225 c.February 244) wasRoman emperorfrom 238 to 244. At the age of 13, he became the youngest sole emperor of the unitedRoman Empire. Gordian was the son ofAntonia Gordianaand Junius Balbus, who died before 238.Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of EmperorGordian Iand younger sister of EmperorGordian II. Very little is known of his early life before his acclamation. Gordian had assumed the name of his maternal grandfather in 238.In 235, following the murder of EmperorAlexander Severusin Moguntiacum (modernMainz),the capital of theRoman provinceGermania Superior,Maximinus Thraxwas acclaimed emperor.In the following years, there was a growing opposition against Maximinus in theRoman Senateand amongst the majority of the population of Rome. In 238, a rebellion broke out in theAfrica Province, where Gordian's grandfather and uncle,Gordian IandII, were proclaimed joint emperors.This revolt was suppressed within a month by Cappellianus, governor ofNumidiaand a loyal supporter of Maximinus Thrax. The Senate, showing its hostility towards Maximinus by supporting the Gordiani, electedPupienusandBalbinusas joint emperors.These senators were not popular men, so the Senate decided to raise Marcus Antonius Gordianus to the rank ofCaesar.Maximinus, moving quickly to attack the Senate's newly elected emperors, encountered difficulties marching his army through an Alpine winter.Arriving at Aquileia and short on supplies, Maximinus besieged the city.After four weeks, Maximinus' demoralized army mutinied and theLegio II Parthicamurdered him. The situation for Pupienus and Balbinus, despite Maximinus' death, was doomed from the start with popular riots, military discontent and an enormous fire that consumed Rome in June 238. The next month, Pupienus and Balbinus were killed by thePraetorian Guardand Gordian proclaimed sole emperor.Due to Gordian's age, the imperial government was surrendered to the aristocratic families, who controlled the affairs of Rome through the Senate.In 240,Sabinianusrevolted in the African province, but he was quickly defeated. In 241, Gordian was married toFuria Sabinia Tranquillina, daughter of the newly appointed praetorian prefect,Timesitheus. As chief of the Praetorian Guard and father in law of the Emperor, Timesitheus quickly became thede factoruler of the Roman Empire. During Gordian's reign there were severeearthquakes, so severe that cities fell into the ground along with their inhabitants.In response to these earthquakes Gordian consulted theSibylline books. By the 3rd century, the Roman frontiers weakened against the Germanic tribes across theRhineandDanube, and theSassanid Empireacross theEuphratesincreased its own attacks. When the Sasanians underShapur IinvadedMesopotamia, the young emperor opened the doors of theTemple of Janusfor the last time in Roman history, and sent a large army to the East. TheSassanidswere driven back over the Euphrates and defeated in theBattle of Resaena(243). The campaign was a success and Gordian, who had joined the army, was planning an invasion of the enemy's territory, when his father-in-law died in unclear circumstances. Without Timesitheus, the campaign, and the Emperor's security, were at risk. Due to the campaign's success, Gordian celebrated with atriumphand boasted about his achievements to the Senate. Gaius Julius Priscusand, later on, his own brother Marcus Julius Philippus, also known asPhilip the Arab, stepped in at this moment as the new Praetorian PrefectsGordian would then start a second campaign. Around February 244, the Sasanians fought back fiercely to halt the Roman advance toCtesiphon. The eventual fate of Gordian after the battle is unclear. Sasanian sources claim that a battle occurred (Battle of Misiche) near modernFallujah(Iraq) and resulted in a major Roman defeat and the death of Gordian III.One view holds that Gordian died at Zaitha, murdered by his frustrated army, while the role of Philip is unknown.Scholarly analyses suggest the Sasanian version, "while defective[,] is superior" to the Roman one. The deposition of Gordian's body is also a matter of controversy. According to David S. Potter, Philip transferred the body of the deceased emperor to Rome and arranged for his deification.Edwell, Dodgeon, and Lieu state that Philip had Gordian buried at Zaitha after the campaign against the Sasanians had ended in failure.