Message:

<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Sallent, post: 2687760, member: 76194&quot;]As young as he was, it is easy to forget that Gordian III was a warrior. Gone were the days of the fat emperors lounging in a villa in Capri or somewhere else. In these turbulent times, even the young emperors were expected to be amongst their soldiers, and die next to them in battle if need be, or as it happened more often... die at the hands of their own troops.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]602330[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>In February of 244 CE, Gordian III and his troops did battle against the forces of King Shapur I of the Sassanian Empire. Although little is known about the battle itself, known to historians as the Battle of Misiche, the outcome was an embarrassing and nearly disastrous Roman defeat. And that&#039;s where the mystery of Gordian III&#039;s death begins.</p><p><br /></p><p>Shapur I claimed Gordian III died in the battlefield:</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Later Roman sources claimed Philip I murdered Gordian III. But then again, every time a Roman emperor was murdered by Roman hands, they always went down in history as bad emperors. The reality was that it served well for the next emperor to hire writers to tarnish the reputation of the previous murdered emperor, to make himself look better in the public&#039;s eyes, and distance himself from the previous unfortunate holder of that great office.</p><p><br /></p><p>To add to the confusion, other Roman sources say that Gordian III died in his imperial tent of injuries received in battle, and that Philip I carried Gordian&#039;s body to Rome and deified the deceased young emperor. Hardly the actions one would expect if Philip I had actually murdered Gordian III. Whatever the truth might be, I prefer the Sassanian version with Gordian III dying in the battlefield itself.</p><p><br /></p><p>Coin #2</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]602331[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Gordian III </b></p><p>AR Antoninianus (23.08mm, 4.38g)</p><p>Rome mint, 238-244 CE</p><p>IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, Radiate draped cuirassed bust right / PROVIDEN-N-TIA AVG, Providentia standing left holding wand over globe at her feet, sceptre in left hand</p><p>RIC IV 150</p><p><br /></p><p><b>ABOUT PROVIDENTIA</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>Providentia was not so much a Goddess, but rather the deified personification of the Roman ideal of care, wisdom, and foresight. Providentia in Roman coinage doesn&#039;t really make an appearance until the time of Augustus.</p><p><br /></p><p>Providential is most often depicted as a female, clothed in a matron’s gown, usually holding in her left hand a cornucopiae, or a hasta pura, and in her right hand a short wand, with which she either touches or points to a globe. Sometimes she holds this globe in her right hand, at others it lies at her feet.</p><p><br /></p><p>The type depicted on the coin above is believed to mark the power and wisdom of the emperor, ruler of the Roman world. Clearly an important piece of propaganda in a perilous world.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

Your name or email address:

Do you already have an account?

• No, create an account now.
• Yes, my password is:
• Forgot your password?

Stay logged in