A Dictionary of Greek and Roman biography and mythology. By various writers. Ed. by William Smith. Illustrated by numerous engravings on wood.

280 GORDIANUS. GORDIANUS.
i. M. ANTONIUS GORDIANUS, surnamed AFRI- upon the spot and the imperial dignity accompanied
-CANUS, the son of Metius Marullus and Ulpia by distant and doubtful danger, the whole city
Gordiana, daughterofAnnius Severus, traced his de- had assembled at his gates, and with one voice
scent by the father's side from the Gracchi, by the saluted him as their sovereign. Gordianus, permother's from the emperor Trajan, and married ceiving that resistance was fruitless, yielded to
Fabia Orestilia, the great grand-daughter of Anto- the wishes of the multitude; and all the chief
ninus. His ancestors had for three generations at cities of Africa having ratified the choice of Tisdrus,
least risen to the consulship, a dignity with which he was escorted a few days afterwards to Carthage
he himself was twice invested. His estates in the in a sort of triumphal procession, and saluted by
provinces ~were believed to be more extensive than the title of Africanus. From thence he despatched
those of any other private citizen: he possessed a letters to Rome, announcing his elevation, inveighsuburban villa of matchless splendour on the Prae- ing at the same time against the cruelty of Maximinestine way, and inherited from his great grand- nus, recalling those whom the tyrant had banished,
father the house in Rome which had once belonged and promising not to fall short of the liberality
to the great Pompeius, had afterwards passed into of his predecessors in largesses to the soldiers and
the hands of M. Antonius, and still bore the name populace.
of the Domus Rostrata, derived from the trophies The senate and all Rome received the intellicaptured in the piratical war, which decorated its gence with enthusiastic joy, the election was at
vestibule when Cicero wrote the second Philippic. once confirmed, Gordianus and his son were proGordianus in youth paid homage to the Muses, and claimed Augusti. The hatred long suppressed how
among many other pieces composed an epic in found free vent, Maximinus was declared a public
thirty books, called the Antoninias, the theme enemy, his statues were cast down, and his name
being the wars and history of the Antonines. In was erased from all public monuments. Italy was
maturer years he declaimed with so much reputa- divided into districts, twenty commissioners were
tion that he numbered emperors among his audi- appointed to raise armies for its defence, and the
ences; his quae'storship was distinguished by pro- most energetic measures were adopted to secure
fuse liberality; when aedile he far outstripped all the co-operation of the distant provinces. Meanhis predecessors in magnificence, for he exhibited while, affairs at Carthage had assumed a very ungames every month on the most gorgeous scale at expected aspect. A certain Capellianus, procurator
his own cost; he discharged with honour the duties of Numidia, who had long been on bad terms with.of a praetorian judge'; in his first consulship, A. D. Gordianus, and had been recently suspended by his
213, he was the colleague of Caracalla; in his orders, refused to acknowledge his authority, and
second of Alexander Severus; and soon afterwards collecting a large body of the well-trained forces
was nominated proconsul of Africa, to the great who guarded the frontier, hastened towards the
joy- of the provincials. Nor was his popularity capital. The new prince could oppose nothing exunmerited. In all things a foe to excess, of gentle cept an effeminate crowd, destitute alike of arms
and affectionate temper in his domestic relations, and discipline. Such a rabble was unable for. a
he expended his vast fortune in ministering to the moment to withstand the regular troops of Capellienjoyment of his friends and of the people at large, anus. The son of Gordianus, after vainly attemptwhile his own mode of life was of the most frugal ing to rally the fugitives, perished in the field; and
and temperate description, and the chief pleasure his aged father, on receiving intelligence of these
of his declining years was derived from the study disasters, died by his own hands, after having enof Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and. Virgil. joyed a sort of shadow of royalty for less than two
The spirit of resistance excited in every region months.
of the empire by the tyranny of Maximinus was The elder Gordianus was a man of ordinary
first kindled into open rebellion in Africa by the stature, with venerable white hair, a full face
flagrant injustice of the imperial procurator, who rather ruddy than fair, commanding respect by his
sought to gain the favour of his master by emulating eye, his brow, and the general dignity of his coun
his oppression. Some noble and wealthy youths of tenance, and is said to have borne a strong resemTisdrus, whom he had condemned to pay a fine blance to Augustus in voice, manner, and gait.
which would have reduced them to indigence, col- Eckhel is very angry with Capitolinus for exlecting together their slaves and rustic retainers, pressing a doubt whether the Gordians bore the
sent them forwards by night to the city, command- appellation of Antonius or Antoninus. It is certain
ing them to mix with the crowd, so as not to excite that the few medals and inscriptions in which the
suspicion, while they themselves entered the gates name appears at full length uniformly exhibited
at day-break, and boldly repaired to the presence the former; but when we recollect that Fabia Oresof the officer of the revenue, as if for the purpose of tilia, the wife of the elder, was a lineal descendant
satisfying his demands. Seizing a favourable mo- of Antoninus, and that the virtues of the Antoment, they plunged their daggers into his heart, nines were celebrated both in prose and verse by
while the soldiers who rushed forwards to the rescue her husband, it does not appear improbable that, in
were instantly assailed by the peasants, and de- common with many other emperors, he may have
stroyed or put to flight. The conspirators, feeling
that their offence was beyond forgiveness, deter-
mined to identify some one of conspicuous station /;' ~o $o
with their enterprise. Hurrying to the mansion
of the venerable Gordianus, now in his eightieth -Xyear, they burst into his chamber, and before he
could recover from his surprise, invested him with
a purple robe, and hailed him as Augustus. While
the ringleaders were explaining the event of the
morning, and bidding him choose between death COIN OF GORDIANUS I