Antonia Gordiana

Daughter of emperor Gordian I (born 201)
Part of a series on Roman imperial dynasties
Year of the Six Emperors
AD 238
  • Maximinus Thrax
  • Gordian I and Gordian II
  • Pupienus and Balbinus
  • Gordian III
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  • t
  • e

Antonia Gordiana (born 201) was a prominent, wealthy and noble Roman woman who lived in the troubled and unstable 3rd century.[1] She was the daughter of Roman Emperor Gordian I; sister to Roman Emperor Gordian II and mother to Roman Emperor Gordian III.[2][3] The Augustan History names her as Maecia Faustina, however, modern historians dismiss this name as false.[4] She was most probably born in Rome. Along with her elder brother she was raised and spent her childhood in the house that Roman Republican General Pompey had built in Rome. Previous owners included Roman Triumvir Mark Antony and Roman Emperor Tiberius.

After 214, Gordiana married an unnamed Roman Senator. The Augustan History names her husband as Junius Balbus, however modern historians dismiss this name as being incorrect. She bore her husband a son, Marcus Antonius Gordianus Pius (known as Gordian III), who was born on 20 January 225. The birth name of Gordian III is unknown as is his birthplace. The name of Gordian (as we know him) was assumed by Gordiana's son when he became Roman Emperor. Gordiana's husband died before 238.

After the brief reigns of her father and brother, the Roman Senate in April appointed Balbinus and Pupienus as joint emperors. During the brief reign of Balbinus and Pupienus, her son became popular with Roman citizens and the joint emperors were forced to adopt her son as their heir. On 29 July 238, Balbinus and Pupienus were both murdered by the Praetorian Guard and later that day her son became the new Roman Emperor. There is a possibility that Gordiana might have bribed the Guards to murder the joint emperors, so that her son could become emperor.

To keep in the favour of the Roman Senate, Gordian III assumed the name of his maternal grandfather and maternal uncle. The political factions that supported Gordiana's father and brother, also supported her son. Through them, she was able to assist her son in directing affairs and together they sought to reform policies covering administration, fiscal affairs, and the Roman army. Efforts were made to limit the taxes on the Roman wealthy and notable. Attention was directed to strengthening defences along the empire's borders and Roman governors were prosecuted if they abused Roman taxes and their powers in governing the provinces.

In 241, her son appointed the able and efficient Timesitheus as prefect of the Praetorian Guard. Later, in May of that year, Gordian married Timesitheus’ daughter Tranquillina, who became Roman Empress. Timesitheus died in 243, and Gordian appointed the ambitious Philip the Arab as the new prefect. In February 244, Gordian died of unknown causes. Gordian either died in battle or was possibly murdered on the orders of Philip. Philip was then proclaimed the new emperor. Gordian III's wife and daughter survived him. The fate of Gordiana after her son's death is unknown.

Family tree

previous
Maximinus Thrax
Roman Emperor
235–238		Pupienus
Roman Emperor
238
Gordian I
Roman Emperor
238
∞ (?) Fabia Orestilla
Balbinus
Roman Emperor
238
Gordian II
co-emperor
238		Antonia Gordiana(doubted)
Junius Licinius Balbus
consul suffectus		Gaius Furius Sabinius Aquila Timesitheus
praetorian prefect		next
Philip the Arab
Roman Emperor
244–249

Gordian III
Roman Emperor
238		Furia Sabinia TranquillinaPhilip II
Roman Emperor
co-emperor
247–249

Nerva–Antonine family tree

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  • e
Nerva–Antonine family tree
Q. Marcius Barea SoranusQ. Marcius Barea SuraAntonia FurnillaM. Cocceius NervaSergia PlautillaP. Aelius Hadrianus
Titus
(r. 79–81)		Marcia FurnillaMarciaTrajanus PaterNerva
(r. 96–98)		Ulpia[i]Aelius Hadrianus Marullinus
Flavia[ii]Marciana[iii]C. Salonius Matidius[iv]Trajan
(r. 98–117)		PlotinaP. Acilius AttianusP. Aelius Afer[v]Paulina Major[vi]
Lucius Mindius (2)Libo Rupilius Frugi (3)Salonia Matidia[vii]L. Vibius Sabinus (1)[viii]
Paulina Minor[vi]L. Julius Ursus Servianus[ix]
Matidia Minor[vii]Sabina[iii]Hadrian[v][x][vi] (r. 117–138)Antinous[xi]
C. Fuscus Salinator IJulia Serviana Paulina
M. Annius Verus[xii]Rupilia Faustina[xiii][xiv]Boionia ProcillaCn. Arrius Antoninus
L. Ceionius CommodusAppia SeveraC. Fuscus Salinator II
L. Caesennius PaetusArria AntoninaArria Fadilla[xv]T. Aurelius Fulvus
L. Caesennius AntoninusL. CommodusPlautiaunknown[xvi]C. Avidius Nigrinus
M. Annius Verus[xiii]Calvisia Domitia Lucilla[xvii]Fundania[xviii]M. Annius Libo[xiii]Faustina[xv]Antoninus Pius
(r. 138–161)[xv]		L. Aelius Caesar[xvi]Avidia[xvi]
Cornificia[xiii]Marcus Aurelius
(r. 161–180)[xix]		Faustina Minor[xix]C. Avidius Cassius[xx]Aurelia Fadilla[xv]Lucius Verus
(r. 161–169)[xvi] (1)		Ceionia Fabia[xvi]Plautius Quintillus[xxi]Q. Servilius PudensCeionia Plautia[xvi]
Cornificia Minor[xxii]M. Petronius SuraCommodus
(r. 177–192)[xix]		Fadilla[xxii]M. Annius Verus Caesar[xix]Ti. Claudius Pompeianus (2)Lucilla[xix]M. Plautius Quintillus[xvi]Junius Licinius BalbusServilia Ceionia
Petronius AntoninusL. Aurelius Agaclytus (2)Aurelia Sabina[xxii]L. Antistius Burrus (1)Plautius QuintillusPlautia ServillaC. Furius Sabinus TimesitheusAntonia GordianaJunius Licinius Balbus?
Furia Sabina TranquillinaGordian III
(r. 238–244)
  • (1) = 1st spouse
  • (2) = 2nd spouse
  • (3) = 3rd spouse
  •   Reddish-purple indicates emperor of the Nerva–Antonine dynasty
      lighter purple indicates designated imperial heir of said dynasty who never reigned
      grey indicates unsuccessful imperial aspirants
      bluish-purple indicates emperors of other dynasties
  • dashed lines indicate adoption; dotted lines indicate love affairs/unmarried relationships
  • Small Caps = posthumously deified (Augusti, Augustae, or other)
Notes:

Except where otherwise noted, the notes below indicate that an individual's parentage is as shown in the above family tree.

  1. ^ Sister of Trajan's father: Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
  2. ^ Giacosa (1977), p. 8.
  3. ^ a b Levick (2014), p. 161.
  4. ^ Husband of Ulpia Marciana: Levick (2014), p. 161.
  5. ^ a b Giacosa (1977), p. 7.
  6. ^ a b c DIR contributor (Herbert W. Benario, 2000), "Hadrian".
  7. ^ a b Giacosa (1977), p. 9.
  8. ^ Husband of Salonia Matidia: Levick (2014), p. 161.
  9. ^ Smith (1870), "Julius Servianus".
  10. ^ Smith (1870), "Hadrian", pp. 319–322.
  11. ^ Lover of Hadrian: Lambert (1984), p. 99 and passim; deification: Lamber (1984), pp. 2–5, etc.
  12. ^ Husband of Rupilia Faustina: Levick (2014), p. 163.
  13. ^ a b c d Levick (2014), p. 163.
  14. ^ It is uncertain whether Rupilia Faustina was Frugi's daughter by Salonia Matidia or another woman.
  15. ^ a b c d Levick (2014), p. 162.
  16. ^ a b c d e f g Levick (2014), p. 164.
  17. ^ Wife of M. Annius Verus: Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
  18. ^ Wife of M. Annius Libo: Levick (2014), p. 163.
  19. ^ a b c d e Giacosa (1977), p. 10.
  20. ^ The epitomator of Cassius Dio (72.22) gives the story that Faustina the Elder promised to marry Avidius Cassius. This is also echoed in HA "Marcus Aurelius" 24.
  21. ^ Husband of Ceionia Fabia: Levick (2014), p. 164.
  22. ^ a b c Levick (2014), p. 117.
References:
  • DIR contributors (2000). "De Imperatoribus Romanis: An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Rulers and Their Families". Retrieved 2015-04-14.
  • Giacosa, Giorgio (1977). Women of the Caesars: Their Lives and Portraits on Coins. Translated by R. Ross Holloway. Milan: Edizioni Arte e Moneta. ISBN 0-8390-0193-2.
  • Lambert, Royston (1984). Beloved and God: The Story of Hadrian and Antinous. New York: Viking. ISBN 0-670-15708-2.
  • Levick, Barbara (2014). Faustina I and II: Imperial Women of the Golden Age. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-537941-9.
  • Smith, William, ed. (1870). Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology.

References

  1. ^ Verhaart, Floris (2022-07-03). "Jean-Baptiste Du Bos and the Réflexions critiques sur la poésie et sur la peinture within the context of contemporary philology and antiquarianism". Intellectual History Review. 32 (3): 411–428. doi:10.1080/17496977.2022.2097401.
  2. ^ D’Amato, Raffaele (2020-01-23). Roman Standards & Standard-Bearers (2): AD 192–500. Bloomsbury Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4728-3650-2.
  3. ^ Navarra, James (2018-08-17). A Compendium of the Earth, and of the People of the Earth, and of the Wars They Fought. Balboa Press. ISBN 978-1-9822-0990-2.
  4. ^ Syme, Ronald (1971). Emperors and Biography: Studies in the 'Historia Augusta'. Clarendon Press. ISBN 978-0-19-814357-4.

Sources

  • http://www.roman-emperors.org/gordo1.htm
  • http://www.roman-emperors.org/gordo3.htm
  • http://www.fofweb.com/Onfiles/Ancient/AncientDetail.asp?iPin=AGRW0295
  • http://gordianiiirpc.ancients.info/reign%20of%20gordian.html