GORDIANUS III - ORIENS AUGUSTUS. ANTIOCH MINT.

Antioch Mint. IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust rt / ORIENS AVG, Sol standing front, head lt., raising hand, holding globe. RIC 213, RSC 167.


One nice looking - and nice priced! - Gordianus III for my collection. Nice diferent portrait of the young emperor and nice dark patina. First one from Antioch mint.

Joannus dixit.

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The nephew of Gordian II and the grandson of Gordian I, Gordian III was born on the 20th of January 225 in Rome. After the deaths of Gordian I and II, Pupienus and Balbinus were made emperors of Rome by the Senate, but the Praetorian Guard named the 13-year old Gordian emperor. Gordian appointed Timesitheus praetorian prefect in 240 or 241. In 241 Gordian married Furia Sabinia Tranquillina, the daughter of Timesitheus. Gordian joined Timesitheus who was campaigning against the Persians. When Timesitheus died of an illness, he was replaced by Philip the Arab who was to become emperor when Gordian III died in 244. How Gordian died is not known, although Philip blamed it on an illness and it is thought that Philip engineered a mutiny. Gordian III was deified after his death. Gordian ruled from 238-244. (Source - ancienthistory.com)