Pupienus and Balbinus
Encyclopedia
Marcus Clodius Pupienus Maximus and Decimus Caelius Calvinus Balbinus (both died on July 29, 238) were two Roman co-emperors elected by the Roman senate
on April 22, 238 after the failure of Gordian I
and Gordian II
to defeat the usurper Maximinus Thrax
.
and became a military tribune
, praetor
, consul
(twice) and governor of several Roman provinces including the troublesome Germania Inferior
. In 234 he was prefect of Rome and gained a reputation for severity.
and Gordian II
, was marching on Rome. Without other candidates in view, the senate elected Pupienus and Balbinus joint emperors. Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius
, the thirteen-year-old grandson of Gordian I
, was nominated as Caesar
to appease the population of capital, which was still loyal to the Gordian family. Pupienus was sent at the head of an army to face Maximinus, and Balbinus stayed in Rome.
Meanwhile, Maximinus' situation was not easy. Discontent due to lack of supplies and the strong opposition of the senate, forced his legionaries
to rethink their allegiance. Soldiers of the II Parthica
killed the usurper and surrendered to Pupienus in the end of June. The co-emperor then returned to Rome, only to find the city in riot. Balbinus had not managed to control the situation and the city had burned in a fire resulting in mutiny. With both emperors present, the situation calmed down but the unease remained.
, but they quarrelled frequently. It was during one of these heavy discussions, on July 29, that the Praetorian guard
decided to intervene. They stormed into the room containing the emperors and killed them both. On the same day, the young Caesar, generally known in English as Gordian III
, was proclaimed emperor.
Together Pupienus and Balbinus had ruled for a little more than three months. Coins from their short reign show one of them on one side and two clasped hands on the other to show their joint power.
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
on April 22, 238 after the failure of Gordian I
Gordian I
Gordian I , was Roman Emperor for one month 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 by forces loyal to Maximinus before committing suicide.-Early life:...
and Gordian II
Gordian II
Gordian II , was Roman Emperor for one month with his father Gordian I in 238, the Year of the Six Emperors. Seeking to overthrow the Emperor Maximinus Thrax, he died in battle outside of Carthage.-Early career:...
to defeat the usurper Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax , also known as Maximinus I, was Roman Emperor from 235 to 238.Maximinus is described by several ancient sources, though none are contemporary except Herodian's Roman History. Maximinus was the first emperor never to set foot in Rome...
.
Pupienus
Pupienus, born about 178, was an example of ascension in the Roman hierarchical system due to military success. He started as a primus pilusCenturion
A centurion was a professional officer of the Roman army .Centurion may also refer to:-Military:* Centurion tank, British battle tank* HMS Centurion, name of several ships and a shore base of the British Royal Navy...
and became a military tribune
Tribune
Tribune was a title shared by elected officials in the Roman Republic. Tribunes had the power to convene the Plebeian Council and to act as its president, which also gave them the right to propose legislation before it. They were sacrosanct, in the sense that any assault on their person was...
, praetor
Praetor
Praetor was a title granted by the government of Ancient Rome to men acting in one of two official capacities: the commander of an army, usually in the field, or the named commander before mustering the army; and an elected magistratus assigned varied duties...
, consul
Consul
Consul was the highest elected office of the Roman Republic and an appointive office under the Empire. The title was also used in other city states and also revived in modern states, notably in the First French Republic...
(twice) and governor of several Roman provinces including the troublesome Germania Inferior
Germania Inferior
Germania Inferior was a Roman province located on the left bank of the Rhine, in today's Luxembourg, southern Netherlands, parts of Belgium, and North Rhine-Westphalia left of the Rhine....
. In 234 he was prefect of Rome and gained a reputation for severity.
Balbinus
Balbinus had an equal share of consular status and political clout. As with Pupienus, he belonged to a special senatorial commission to deal with the problem of Maximinus Thrax. The usurper emperor had been declared a public enemy and, after the defeat in Africa of the senate's candidates, Gordian IGordian I
Gordian I , was Roman Emperor for one month 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 by forces loyal to Maximinus before committing suicide.-Early life:...
and Gordian II
Gordian II
Gordian II , was Roman Emperor for one month with his father Gordian I in 238, the Year of the Six Emperors. Seeking to overthrow the Emperor Maximinus Thrax, he died in battle outside of Carthage.-Early career:...
, was marching on Rome. Without other candidates in view, the senate elected Pupienus and Balbinus joint emperors. Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius
Gordian III
Gordian III , was Roman Emperor from 238 to 244. Gordian was the son of Antonia Gordiana and an unnamed Roman Senator who died before 238. Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of Emperor Gordian I and younger sister of Emperor Gordian II. Very little is known on his early life before his acclamation...
, the thirteen-year-old grandson of Gordian I
Gordian I
Gordian I , was Roman Emperor for one month 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 by forces loyal to Maximinus before committing suicide.-Early life:...
, was nominated as Caesar
Caesar (title)
Caesar is a title of imperial character. It derives from the cognomen of Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator...
to appease the population of capital, which was still loyal to the Gordian family. Pupienus was sent at the head of an army to face Maximinus, and Balbinus stayed in Rome.
Meanwhile, Maximinus' situation was not easy. Discontent due to lack of supplies and the strong opposition of the senate, forced his legionaries
Legionary
The Roman legionary was a professional soldier of the Roman army after the Marian reforms of 107 BC. Legionaries had to be Roman citizens under the age of 45. They enlisted in a legion for twenty-five years of service, a change from the early practice of enlisting only for a campaign...
to rethink their allegiance. Soldiers of the II Parthica
Legio II Parthica
Legio secunda Parthica was a Roman legion levied by Emperor Septimius Severus in 197, for his campaign against the Parthian Empire, hence the cognomen Parthica. The legion was still active in the beginning of the 5th century...
killed the usurper and surrendered to Pupienus in the end of June. The co-emperor then returned to Rome, only to find the city in riot. Balbinus had not managed to control the situation and the city had burned in a fire resulting in mutiny. With both emperors present, the situation calmed down but the unease remained.
Relationship between Balbinus and Pupienus
The relation between Balbinus and Pupienus had been clouded with suspicion from the start, with both fearing an assassination from the other. They were planning an enormous double campaign, Pupienus against the Parthians and Balbinus against the CarpiansCarpians
The Carpi or Carpiani were an ancient people that resided, between not later than ca. AD 140 and until at least AD 318, in the former Principality of Moldavia ....
, but they quarrelled frequently. It was during one of these heavy discussions, on July 29, that the Praetorian guard
Praetorian Guard
The Praetorian Guard was a force of bodyguards used by Roman Emperors. The title was already used during the Roman Republic for the guards of Roman generals, at least since the rise to prominence of the Scipio family around 275 BC...
decided to intervene. They stormed into the room containing the emperors and killed them both. On the same day, the young Caesar, generally known in English as Gordian III
Gordian III
Gordian III , was Roman Emperor from 238 to 244. Gordian was the son of Antonia Gordiana and an unnamed Roman Senator who died before 238. Antonia Gordiana was the daughter of Emperor Gordian I and younger sister of Emperor Gordian II. Very little is known on his early life before his acclamation...
, was proclaimed emperor.
Together Pupienus and Balbinus had ruled for a little more than three months. Coins from their short reign show one of them on one side and two clasped hands on the other to show their joint power.