GORDIANUS, an illustrious Roman senator, who claimed his descent on the father’s side from the Gracchi, and on the mother’s from the Emperor Trajan. He seems to have been one of the richest senators of Rome, but his unambitious spirit, and his devotion to the study of literature, probably saved him from a violent death and the loss of his property. He was raised to the dignity ol aedile in the reign of Caracalla, and the magnificence of the public shows he exhibited far surpassed any thing which Rome had ever witnessed. He was twice raised to the dignity of consul, by Caracalla a. ð. 213, and by Alexander a. d. 229. His long life was spent in the study of letters; nor does he seem to have taken an active part in public affairs till he was named proconsul ol Africa by the senate, an appointment which was highly approved of by Alexander, whose original letter on the subject to the senate is still preserved. (Hist. Aug. p. 152.) When the tyrant Maximin succeeded to the throne, he appointed a procurator of Africa worthy of himself, who exacted with the utmost severity the taxes he himself had imposed; but being murdered by the people, they proclaimed Gordian and his son emperors, a. d. 237. At first unwilling to accept the honour, he at length yielded to the pressing invitation of the people. The Gordiani erected their court at Carthage, and no sooner did the deputation sent by the emperors to the senate make its appearance, than that body joyfully confirmed their election. Meanwhile Capelianus, governor of Mauritania, marched against Carthage with such rapidity, that they were unable to collect troops in sufficient numbers to op< [7:10:616]pose him. The younger Gordian fell at the head of a few guards; and his father, whose reign had not exceeded thirty-six days, put an end to his life on the first news of the defeat. Gordian was the author of a poem, in thirty books, on the actions of Antoninus Pius and Marcus Aurelius. (Ħerodian, vii.; Hist. Aug.) Gordianus, surnamed the Pius, was grandson of the elder Gordian. When the news of his grandfather’s death reached Rome, the senators elected Maximus and Balbinus emperors, as best fitted to oppose the threatened attack of Maximin; but the people insisted that one of the family of Gordian should also be raised to the empire. This boy was only thirteen years of age; and when Maximus and Balbinus fell in an insurrection of the soldiers, Gordian was left as sole emperor. Having married Fabia Sabina Tranquillina, the daughter of his master of rhetoric, he appointed his father-in law Micitheus prefect of the praetorian guards, and through his assistance emancipated himself from the hands of his mother’s eunuchs. Micitheus proved himself an able minister, and discharged the military duties of his office with vigour and ability. He induced the young emperor to proceed against the Persians, who had invaded Mesopotamia, and during the whole of the expedition Micitheus watched over the safety and discipline of the army. Micitheus, however, died, with strong suspicions of having been poisoned by Philip, his successor in the prefecture. A short time afterwards a sedition broke out among the soldiers, which was fomented by Philip, and Gordian was killed, a. d. 244, near the conflux of the Euphrates with the little river Aboras. (See L’Histoire des quatre Gardiens, par Abbê Dubos; also Caspar, Historia trium Gordianorum, Deventer, 1697.)