GORDIAN III 238AD Deultum Thrace SATYR MARSYAS Genuine Ancient Roman Coin i57649

Description

Item:
i57649
Authentic Ancient  Coin of:
Gordian III - Roman Emperor: 238-244 A.D. -
Bronze 21mm (6.68 grams) of Deultum in Thrace
Reference: Moushmov 3718v
IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
COL FL PAC DEVLT, Marsyas holding a wineskin, standing left and holding right hand up, as on the statue in the forum in Rome.
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You are bidding on the exact  item pictured, provided with a Certificate of Authenticity and Lifetime  Guarantee of Authenticity.
Debelt
is a village in
Sredets municipality
in
Burgas Province
in southeastern
Bulgaria
, about 25 kilometers from
Burgas
. It has a population of 1,574 and an  altitude of 46 meters. The village was founded around the 2nd century by the  Roman emperor
Vespasian
. Then called Deultum, it was the only  Roman colony on Bulgarian land in the
Flavian dynasty
. During the Byzantine era it  was known as Develtos (
Greek
:
Δεβελτός
).
In
Greek mythology
, the
satyr
Marsyas is a central  figure in two stories involving death: in one, he picked up the double flute (
aulos
)  that had been abandoned by
Athena
and played it; in the other, he  challenged
Apollo
to a contest of music and lost his hide  and life. In
Antiquity
, literary sources often emphasise the
hubris
of Marsyas and the justice of his  punishment.
In one conjunction
Rhea
/
Cybele
,  and his episodes are situated by the mythographers in
Celaenae
(or Kelainai) in
Phrygia
(today, the town of
Dinar
in
Turkey
), at the main source of the
Meander
(the river
Menderes
).
When a genealogy was applied to him, Marsyas was the son of
Olympus
(son of
Heracles
and
Euboea
, daughter of
Thespius
), or of
Oeagrus
, or of
Hyagnis
. Olympus was,  alternatively, said to be Marsyas' son or pupil.
="">
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
Parthica
II
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.  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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