Gordian III and The Battle of Rhesaena

Gordian III was to become the emperor of Rome in AD 238, despite being a 13-year-old orphan. The year AD 238 was also known as "The Year of Six Emperors". Maximinus I Thrax, had been emperor of Rome since AD 235, but was growing increasingly unpopular. He was an uncouth barbarian, a harsh disciplinarian, & despised by the senate for raising taxes on them for his military campaigns. An insurrection in North Africa broke out against him, supported by the senate, & led by Gordian I & his son Gordian II. Gordian II was killed in battle & his father committed suicide after learning of his son's death. Maximinus & his son Maximus were fighting German barbarians in the Danube frontier but soon learned about the growing insurrection. The frantic senate chose two of their own as co-emperors, Balbinus & Pupienus, & Gordian III was given the title of Caesar since he was the hereditary next in line to become emperor of Rome. After the parents of Gordian III died he was adopted by his wealthy grandfather Gordian I. Balbinus & Pupienus were more interested in squabbling over Gordian's inheritance rather than facing the impending rage of Maximinus who began marching towards Rome. After 99 days of dealing with the bickering co-emperors both of them were murdered by the praetorian guards. So now Rome needed another emperor. What seemed like an irrational decision, the senate & praetorian guards selected Gordian III as the next emperor of Rome . Odd as it may seem, the young Gordian was the perfect choice for the senate & praetorian guards, since he wasn't old enough to have a political agenda of any kind . Furthermore the handsome, quick-witted kid was well liked by the senate, praetorian guards, & adored by the general population . He seemed to provide a breath of fresh air during this period of civil wars & unrest. As Maximinus & his son approached Rome, with revenge as their goal, they were murdered by their own troops. The young emperor didn't shy away from his duties & insisted on joining the army on military campaigns. He was wise beyond his years & learned quickly with the guidance of the praetorian guards. Roger Bland gives convincing evidence that Gordian made a visit to Antioch, Syria in AD 239, & engaged Shapur I successfully in a skirmish near Dura, Judaea. Coinage was resumed in Antioch, & antoniniani (radiates) were soon being struck there for use in Rome. The first encounter with Shapur was a much smaller battle than what was to come in AD 243/244. After his triumphant return to Rome, Gordian knew intuitively that he would face Shapur again in a full scale war. To help prepare him for this event he chose an experienced & trusted man as his new praetorian prefect, Timesitheus. To cement this relationship he married Tranquillina, daughter of Timesitheus. In AD 243 the Battle of Rhesaena began. Gordian & his father-in-law had a resounding victory, saving Antioch, Syria from ultimate destruction, & regaining control of Carrhae, Nisibis, & Hatra. Many different coins & medallions were struck in the provinces & Rome to celebrate this event. Regrettably Timesitheus died of an illness while on the campaign, & Gordian was murdered by the orders of his newly appointed Praetorian Prefect, Philip I (the Arab) . The teenage emperor never got to enjoy his heroic status in Roman history, but countless numbers of coins bearing his image exist for collectors to enjoy today .


Pisidia-Antiochia, Gordian III, AD 238-244, AE 34.2 mm, 25.82 gm, 7 h. Obverse: Laureate, draped, & cuirassed bust facing right, IMP CAES M ANT GORDIANVS AVG. Reverse: Gordian with a radiate crown, holding an eagle tip scepter, driving a slow quadriga, CAES ANTIOCH (CO L?), in exergue S A. Rare. Light adjustment marks on the obverse. RARE. Krzyzanowska dies XX/85; SNG von Aulock. CNG E-Sale 491, lot 212. Al Kowsky Collection.
This medallic size coin was struck to commemorate the Battle of Rhesaena. The portrait of Gordian has an impish smile, like a young teenager who has just played a prank on a friend .


Pisidia-Antiochia, Philip II, AD 247-249, AE 10.29 gm, 27 mm, 6 h. SNG France 1280-1; Krzyzanowska I/1. Photo courtesy of Savoca Coins.
This coin, on a much smaller scale, uses the same reverse design as my coin.


Gordian III, c. AD 239, Rome Mint, AE Sestertius: 18.04 gm, 30 mm, 6 h. Reverse: Gordian in military dress holding spear & shield. Sear 8726, Cohen 218. Photo courtesy of David Sear, RCV 2000 Edition.
This handsome sestertius probably commemorates Gordian's return from Antioch & his 1st victory over Shapur I.



Pisidia-Antiochia, Gordian III, AD 238-244. AE 20.96 gm, 33 mm, 7 h. Reverse: Victory seated on cuirass, inscribing shield on her knees, around various shields. Krzyzanowska XX/87. Photo courtesy of Nomos AG.
This coin also commemorates Gordian's victory at the Battle of Rhesaena.


Gordian III, c.239, Rome Mint, Billon Antoninianus. Reverse: Gordian driving a slow chariot while holding a patera. Photo courtesy of Tkalec AG.
This beautiful radiate sold at auction for $3,175.00 !


Gordian III, Ad 238-244 (struck AD 243-244), Rome Mint. Bimetallic Medallion: 54.24 gm, 37 mm, 12 h. Reverse: Adlocutio scene of Gordian addressing four coharts holding spears, shields, vexillum, signum & aquila. Standing behind Gordian is his Praetorian Prefect, Timesitheus. Of the greatest rarity. Gnecchi II, plate 4 (pl. 103, 3); Greuber 9, Froehner pg. 186; Cohen 6; Banti 4. Photo courtesy of CNG Triton XXIII, lot 818.
This majestic masterpiece is the finest medallion of Gordian III to sell at auction in decades. With an estimate of $30,000.00, it managed to sell for $144,000.00 !

References:
Essay by Roger Bland, courtesy of Academia: An imperial visit to Antioch in AD 239. The numismatic evidence.

Coinage and History of the Roman Empire, Volume One: History, David L. Vagi

Roman Coins and Their Values III, 2000, David R. Sear

Coin Archives, Internet.

Wikipedia, Internet

If any CT members have interesting coins or medallions of Gordian III to share you're welcome to post the on this thread .

 

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Gorgeous coins, @Al Kowsky!

It doesn't have a historical reverse type, but just an allegorical one. Nonetheless, it is perhaps my favorite imperial coin of Gordian III in my collection:


Gordian III, AD 238-244.
Roman Æ sestertius, 24.30 gm, 28.7 mm, 12 h.
Rome, AD 240.
Obv: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust, right.
Rev: LIBERTAS AVG SC, Libertas standing left, holding pileus and scepter.
Refs: RIC 318a; Cohen 153; RCV 8717; Hunter 147.

 

Harry Sidebottom's "Iron and Rust" trilogy of novels covers the Year of Six Emperors in great detail. Maximinus Thrax and his son Maximus, the three Gordians, Balbinus and Pupienus, Timesitheus, the future Philip I, and the future Valerian I, are all important characters. Ballista, the protagonist of Sidebottom's later series of novels set in the reigns of Valerian and Gallienus, makes a cameo appearance. I thought all three books were fantastic.

A coin from Anchialus in Thrace showing both Gordian III and Tranquillina on the obverse, and a nude Apollo on the reverse:



Another stark naked Apollo on the reverse of an antoninianus, with a lyre. I'm tempted to try to make some kind of pun about his instrument, but it wouldn't be ladylike.

 

A Mars coin would fit in with this thread....

 

Here I got a FELICIT TEMP coin from the later part of his reign. The portrait features him with his first beard but sadly he wont live long to bring the happy times he propagates on this coin:

 

I think the following coin is absolutely relevant. Minted in Antioch, This radiate celebrate the victory of Gordian against Shapur, VICTORIA GORDIANI AVG

 

Related?

Gordian III. 238-244 AD. Antioch, Pisida. Æ36 x 31 mm; 21.22 gm.
Obv: (IMP CAES) M ANT GORDIAN(US AVG). Laur, dr. and cuirassed bust r.
Rev. (ANTIOCHIA COLONIA CAESARIA), (S R) in exergue, Sol in quadriga of horses leaping skyward left. Same dies as Krzyzanowska XX/90, pl. XXXVIII, p. 183, a coin known only from this die pair. SNG von Aulock 4962; SNG BN 1230; CNG Research__; acsearch__.

 

@Al Kowsky, I like your medallic coin commemorating the Battle of Rhesaena, here are two favorite Gordian III provincials - the Tetradrachm minted the year of the Battle in 243.
Gordian III, Æ 22mm of Kibyra (or Cibyra), Phrygia, AD 238-244, 6.11g, 22mm
Obv: A•K•M•AN•ΓOPΔIAN, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right
Rev: ΚΙΒΥΡΑΤΩΝ, eagle standing facing on caduceus, head to left, wings spread
Ref: RPC VII.1 665
Notes: Roman Provinces & Corruption

Egypt, Alexandria, Gordian III, AD 238-244, Potin Tetradrachm, dated RY 6 (AD 242/243)
Obv: A K M ANT ΓOPΔIANOC ЄV, laureate and cuirassed bust right
Rev: Homonoia standing facing, head left, raising hand and holding double cornucopia; L ς (date) to lower left
Ref: Köln 2666-7; Dattari (Savio) 4739; Emmett 3411.6

 

Great coin Kowsky,thanks for sharing.

 

R.C.H. Thanks . That's a lovely sestertius, & a hefty one too. The dark uniform patina gives it character.

 

Donna, Thanks for the tip on the Iron & Rust trilogy. That sounds like good winter reading when the whether gets nasty . Your Apollo definitely has more than enough to show-off . That's a nice obverse of the married couple too .

 

A.C.H. That's a nice radiate of Gordian & Mars . The Rome Mint also struck a sestertius with Mars on the reverse as did Pisidia-Antiochia. The coin pictured below was recently auctioned by Nomos AG.


Pisidia-Antiochia, AD 238-244, AE 23.88, gm, 33 mm, 6 h. SNG BN 1223.

 

wittwolf, That's a good example of a late edition radiate . I like your avatar photo of Gallienus .

 

Roma, That's a wonderful example of an Antioch radiate ! It's clearly a victory commemorative of the Battle of Rhesaena. The kid is even sporting the beginning of a moustache !

 

Pete, That's a wonderful looking bronze victory issue with a stunning patina ! The 1st example I've seen .

 

Andres, Those are two handsome provincial bronzes . You could spend a lifetime collecting provincial bronzes of Gordian III & only have a a "drop in the bucket" of all the types made.

 

Sulla, Those are both handsome bronzes . The small bronze from Kibyra has an excellent low-relief portrait .

 

The provincial billon Tets of Gordian III from Antioch, Syria deserve a special mention. The early issues like the one pictured below were 35.77 % silver. The 1st time the letters S C were added to the reverse of Tets of Antioch, was in the reign of Gordian III.


Later Tets of Antioch were struck in debased billon of of 24.30 % silver, & the engraving was much cruder. The later Tets had a ram & crescent added just below the eagle. McAlee speculates these coins were not minted at the Antioch Mint, rather, they were struck at a mobile mint near Antioch, see example below.

McAlee 872. Al Kowsky Collection.

 

Interesting write up and some lovely coins shown!
Here's my only GIII playing the Clarinet naked

 

Interesting write up and coins.

This one is kind of ugly, but it has interesting Gordian III eastern connections (see notes below, from @Parthicus ):


Gordian III / Abgar X Phraates
Æ 31 (242-244 A.D.)
Edessa, Mesopotamia (Osrhoene)
[A]VTOK K M A[NT ΓOPΔIANOC C]ЄB, radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right / [AYTOK ΓOPΔIANOC A]BΓAPOC BACIΛЄYC, Abgar standing left, giving Nike to Gordian on daïs.
SNG Cop. 223; BMC 139.
(19.69 grams / 31 mm)

Notes
"Lucius Verus set up a pro-Roman king in 167. Osrhoene continued as a pro-Roman state, until 216 when Caracalla turned it into a Roman province. Gordian III briefly revived Osrhoene in 242 and set up king Abgar X, but upon Gordian's death in 244 Osrhoene reverted back to Roman provincial status." (Parthicus on Coin Talk)