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Gordian III – Roman Emperor: 238-244 A.D. –
Bronze 24mm (6.37 grams) of Edessa in Macedonia, circa 238-244 A.D.
Reference: Varbanov 3742; Papaefthymiou, Edessa de Macedoine, group B
AV K M AN ΓΟΡΔΙΑΝΟC, Radiate, draped
and cuirassed bust right.
ЄΔЄCCЄΩN, Roma seated left, on shield,
holding Nike; crowned by Edessa standing left behind holding wreath and
cornucopia.
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item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime
Guarantee of Authenticity.
Edessa (Greek:
Έδεσσα, Édessa,
[ˈeðesa]
), is a city in northern Greece
and the capital of the
Pella regional unit
, in the
Central Macedonia
region
of
Greece
. It was also the capital of the defunct
province
of the same name.
Name
The
ancient Greek
name Édessa (Ἔδεσσα)
was commemorated by
Seleucus I Nicator
in refounding an ancient
city
in northern
Mesopotamia
. It has been associated by modern
scholars with the
Phrygian
vedi (βέδυ – “water”). Vedi
is linguistically connected to the Greek words “hydor”
Greek
: ύδωρ
, “water”, “bidra”
Greek
: βίδρα,
Otter, “idros”
Greek
: ίδρως,
sweat and “idrosa”Greek:
ίδρωσα, sweated. Similarly, it was ascribed
an
Illyrian
origin by
Ulrich Wilcken
in his biography of
Alexander the Great
, the “town of the waters”,
due to its renowned
waterfall
and generally abundant water
resources. These views gain some support if the later
Slavic
-derived name Vodena (Greek:
Βοδενά,
Old Church Slavonic
:
Водьнъ, from voda, “water”) is
considered. The modern
Bulgarian
and
Macedonian Slavic
name of the city is Voden
(Воден). In
Turkish
, the city is known as Vodina,
and in
Aromanian
the city is known as either Edessa,
Vudena or Vodina.
Municipality
The municipality Edessa was formed at the 2011 local government reform by the
merger of the following 2 former municipalities, that became municipal units:
History
Ancient street in Edessa.
A traditional street.
Archaeological remains have been discovered on the site of ancient Edessa,
just below the modern city. The walls and the
agora
have been unearthed so far. A colonnade
with inscription in Greek dates from
Roman times
. The city achieved certain
prominence in the first centuries AD, being located on the
Via Egnatia
. From 27 BC to 249 AD it had its
own mint. St. Vassa and her three children were put to death in the 3rd Century
AD.
Very little is known about the fate of the city after 500 AD. Its bishop
Issidoros participated in the
Ecumenical Council
of 692. After the Slavic
settling in the 6th-7th century, the name of “Edessa” disappears and what
remains of the city (a fortress in the acropolis of the ancient city) is named “Vodena”
(from Slavic ‘Voda’, “water”), recalled by 11th century Byzantine historian
John Skylitzes
. It is mentioned as both Edessa
and Vodena by Emperor and historian
John VI Kantakouzenos
who came to the city with
intention of conquering it in 1350 after It was conquered by the Serb Emperor
Dushan the Mighty
earlier in 1341, 1342 or
1343. In the memoirs of Kantakouzenos, Edessa had a Serbian army of 500+
garrisoned when he approached the city. It fell to the Ottomans along with the
rest of Macedonia around 1390.
Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius (January
20, 225
–
February 11
,
244),
known in
English
as Gordian III,
 was
Roman Emperor
from 238 to 244. Gordian was the
son of
Antonia Gordiana
and his father was 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 becoming Roman Emperor. Gordian had assumed the name of his maternal
grandfather in 238.
Following the murder of emperor
Alexander Severus
in Moguntiacum (modern
Mainz
), the capital of the
Roman province
Germania Inferior
,
Maximinus Thrax
was acclaimed emperor, despite
strong opposition of the
Roman senate
and the majority of the
population. In response to what was considered in Rome as a rebellion, Gordian’s
grandfather and uncle, Gordian I and II, were proclaimed joint emperors in the
Africa Province
. Their revolt was suppressed
within a month by Cappellianus, governor of
Numidia
and a loyal supporter of Maximinus
Thrax. The elder Gordians died, but public opinion cherished their memory as
peace loving and literate men, victims of Maximinus’ oppression.
Meanwhile, Maximinus was on the verge of marching on Rome and
the Senate elected
Pupienus
and
Balbinus
as joint emperors. These senators were
not popular men and the population of Rome was still shocked by the elder
Gordian’s fate, so that the Senate decided to take the teenager Gordian, rename
him Marcus Antonius Gordianus as his grandfather, and raise him to the rank of
Caesar
and imperial heir.
Pupienus
and
Balbinus
defeated Maximinus, mainly due to the
defection of several
legions
, namely the
ParthicaII
who assassinated Maximinus. But their joint reign was doomed from the start with
popular riots, military discontent and even an enormous fire that consumed Rome
in June 238. On
July 29
, Pupienus and Balbinus were
killed by the
Praetorian guard
and Gordian proclaimed sole
emperor.
Rule
Due to Gordian’s age, the imperial government was surrendered
to the aristocratic families, who controlled the affairs of Rome through the
senate. In 240,
Sabinianus
revolted in the African province,
but the situation was dealt quickly. In 241, Gordian was married to Furia
Sabinia Tranquillina
, daughter of the newly appointed
praetorian prefect,
Timesitheus
. As chief of the Praetorian guard
and father in law of the emperor, Timesitheus quickly became the de facto
ruler of the Roman empire.
In the 3rd century, the Roman frontiers weakened against the
Germanic tribes across the
Rhine
and
Danube
, and the
Sassanid
kingdom across the
Euphrates
increased its own attacks. When the
Persians under Shapur I
invaded
Mesopotamia
, the young emperor opened the doors
of the
Temple of Janus
for the last time in Roman
history, and sent a huge army to the East. The Sassanids were driven back over
the Euphrates and defeated in the
Battle of Resaena
(243). The campaign was a
success and Gordian, who had joined the army, was planning an invasion of the
enemy’s territory, when his father-in-law died in unclear circumstances. Without
Timesitheus, the campaign, and the emperor’s security, were at risk.
Marcus Julius Philippus, also known as
Philip the Arab
, stepped in at this moment as
the new Praetorian Prefect and the campaign proceeded. In the beginning of 244,
the Persians counter-attacked. Persian sources claim that a battle was fought (Battle
of Misiche) near modern
Fallujah
(Iraq)
and resulted in a major Roman defeat and the death of Gordian III[1].
Roman sources do not mention this battle and suggest that Gordian died far away,
upstream of the Euphrates. Although ancient sources often described Philip, who
succeeded Gordian as emperor, as having murdered Gordian at Zaitha (Qalat es
Salihiyah), the cause of Gordian’s death is unknown.
Gordian’s youth and good nature, along with the deaths of his
grandfather and uncle and his own tragic fate at the hands of another usurper,
granted him the everlasting esteem of the Romans. Despite the opposition of the
new emperor, Gordian was deified by the Senate after his death, in order to
appease the population and avoid riots.
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