GORDI'A'NUS, the name of three Roman emperors, father, son, and grandson.—The first, MArtons ANToialus GORDIANITS, was grandson of Annius Sevens, and was descended by the father's side from the famous family of the Gracchi. He was remark able for his'attachment to literary pursuits. After being tedile, in which capacity be celebrated the gladiatorialsperts with great magnificence, he twice filled the office of I ituu - Iliniti7chrrhir • .
consul, first as the colleague of Caracalla, in 213 A.D.; and second, as the colleague of Alexander Severus. Soon afterwards, he was appointed proconsul of Africa, where he gained the affections and esteem of the people by his modest and gentle manners, his splendid liberality, and his refined literary taste; his old age was spent in the study of Plato, Aristotle, Cicero, and Virgil. The tyranny and injustice of the emperor Maxi minus having at length excited a rebellion against his authority in Africa, the imperial procurator there was murdered by a band of nobles who had formed a conspiracy against him on account of his cruelty.. Gordianus, now iu Iris 80th year, was proclaimed emperor, after having vainly refused the dangerous honor. He received the title of .Africanus, and his son was conjoined with him in the exercise of imperial authority. The Roman senate acknowledged both, and proclaimed Maximinus, then absent in Pannonia, an enemy to his, country. The younger Gordianus, however, was defeated in battle by Capellianus, viceroy of Mauritania, before Carthage, and hiS father, in an agony of grief, put a period to his own existence, having been emperor for little more than a month. In his personal appearance Gordianus is said to have greatly resembled
Augustus.—MARcus ANTONICIS GORDIANUS, grandson of the preceding, was raised to the dignity of Cwsar along with Pupienus Maximus and Balbinus, who were also elected emperors in 'opposition to Maximinus; and, in the same year, after all three had fallen by the hands of their own soldiers, Marcus Antonius was elevated by the Prteto Han bands to the rank of Augustus. Assisted by his father-in-law, Misitheus, a man distinguished for his wisdom, virtue, and courage, whom he made prefect of the Pr torians, he marched, in the year 242, into Asia, against the Persians. who, under Shalmfir (Sapor), had taken possession of Mesopotamia, and bad advanced into Syria. Antioch, which was threatened by them, was relieved by Gordianus, the Persians were obliged to withdraw from Syria beyond the Euphrates, and Gordianus was just about to march into their country, when Misitheus died. Philip the Arabian, who succeeded Misitheus, stirred up dissatisfaction in the army against Gordianus by the falsest treachery, and finally goaded on the ignorant and passionate soldiery to assassinate the emperor, 244 A:D. • But knowing the great affection which the Roman people had for the gallant and amiable Gordianus, lie declared in his dispatch to the senate that the latter had died a natural death, and that he himself had been unanimously chosen to succeed him.