238

Year 238 (CCXXXVIII) was a common year starting on Monday of the Julian calendar. 

 Events 
 By place 
 Roman Empire 
 Emperor Maximinus Thrax battles against the Carpians on the Danube in Moesia (Balkans). 
 March 7 – Romans in Africa go against Maximinus and elect Marcus Antonius Gordianus (Africanus) as emperor. 
 April 12 – Battle of Carthage: Numidian forces loyal to Maximinus invade Africa. Gordian II is killed.  Gordian I commits suicide.
 April 22 – Year of the Six Emperors: The Senate outlaws Maximinus. Pupienus and Balbinus go to the throne.
 Maximinus gets to the town Aquileia in northern Italy. His army has famine and disease.
 July 29 – The Praetorian Guard kill Pupienus and Balbinus. On the same day Gordian III, age 13, is made new emperor. 
 Future Roman Emperor Valerian becomes princeps senatus.
 The Colosseum is restored after being damaged.
 The Goths, coming from Ukraine, cross the Danube and ruin the Roman Empire up to the border with Anatolia. 

 Asia 
 The Cao Wei general Sima Yi destroys the northeastern Chinese warlord Gongsun Yuan.

 Births 
 Empress Yang Yan, first wife of Emperor Wu (d. 274)
 Wen Yang, general of the Kingdom of Wei (d. 291)

 Deaths 
 April 12 – Roman emperors Gordian I (suicide) and Gordian II (killed in battle)
 June 24 – Maximinus Thrax, Roman Emperor (b. 173)
 Maximinus the Younger, Roman Emperor
 July 29 – Pupienus and Balbinus, Roman Emperors
 Gongsun Yuan, warlord of Liaodong
 Lun Zhi, general of Liaodong
 Jia Fan, advisor Liaodong
 Chosroes I, King of Armenia (assassinated)