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  • Rome
    Mar, 238
    Roman Empire

    Gordian I proclaim himself emperor

    Rome
    Mar, 238

    Some young aristocrats in Africa murdered the imperial tax-collector then approached the regional governor, Gordian, and insisted that he proclaim himself emperor. Gordian agreed reluctantly, but as he was almost 80 years old, he decided to make his son joint emperor, with equal power. The Senate recognized father and son as emperors Gordian I and Gordian II, respectively. Their reign, however, lasted for only 20 days. Capelianus, the governor of the neighboring province of Numidia, held a grudge against the Gordians. He led an army to fight them and defeated them decisively at Carthage. Gordian II was killed in the battle, and on hearing this news, Gordian I hanged himself. Gordian I and II were deified by the senate.




  • Carthage, Africa Proconsularis (Present-Day in Tunisia)
    Thursday Apr 12, 238
    Roman Empire

    Gordian I died

    Carthage, Africa Proconsularis (Present-Day in Tunisia)
    Thursday Apr 12, 238

    Gordian I died.




  • Rome
    Sunday Apr 22, 238
    Roman Empire

    Pupienus and Balbinus joint emperors

    Rome
    Sunday Apr 22, 238

    Meanwhile, Maximinus, now declared a public enemy, had already begun to march on Rome with another army. The senate's previous candidates, the Gordians, had failed to defeat him, and knowing that they stood to die if he succeeded, the senate needed a new emperor to defeat him. With no other candidates in view, on 22 April 238, they elected two elderly senators, Pupienus and Balbinus (who had both been part of a special senatorial commission to deal with Maximinus), as joint emperors. Therefore, Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius, the thirteen-year-old grandson of Gordian I, was nominated as emperor Gordian III, holding power only nominally in order to appease the population of the capital, which was still loyal to the Gordian family.




  • Aquileia, Italy, Roman Empire
    Thursday May 10, 238
    Roman Empire

    Maximinus Thrax died

    Aquileia, Italy, Roman Empire
    Thursday May 10, 238

    In May 238, soldiers of the II Parthica in his camp assassinated him, his son, and his chief ministers. Their heads were cut off, placed on poles, and carried to Rome by cavalrymen.




  • Rome
    Sunday Jul 29, 238
    Roman Empire

    Gordian III was proclaimed sole emperor

    Rome
    Sunday Jul 29, 238

    The situation for Pupienus and Balbinus, despite Maximinus' death, was doomed from the start with popular riots, military discontent and enormous fire that consumed Rome in June 238. On July 29, Pupienus and Balbinus were killed by the Praetorian Guard and Gordian was proclaimed sole emperor.




  • Anatolia
    238 BC
    Kingdom of Pergamon

    Battle of Aphrodisium

    Anatolia
    238 BC

    Attalus defeated the Gauls and Antiochus in the battle of Aphrodisium and in a second battle in the east.




  • Alexandria, Egypt
    238 BC
    Ptolemaic Kingdom

    Ptolemy III had introduced an important innovation

    Alexandria, Egypt
    238 BC

    Ptolemy III had introduced an important innovation in 238 BC by holding a synod of all the priests of Egypt at Canopus.


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