Roman Empire 1 antoninien Gordian III - Antoninianus, Standing Emperor - 240 Rome VF

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Obverse: IMP GORDIANVS PIVS FEL AVG

Reverse: P M TR P III COS II P P

The reverse depicts the emperor in military attire, standing, facing right, holding in his left hand a globe, symbol of Rome's universal dominion, and in his right hand a transverse spear, a military attribute evoking authority and martial power. This iconography asserts imperial legitimacy in its dual dimension: mastery of the known world and military supremacy.

Gordian III came to power at the age of thirteen in 238, at the end of a particularly turbulent year that saw no fewer than six emperors succeed one another. Initially placed under the guardianship of the Senate, then of his father-in-law Timesitheus, praetorian prefect, he reigned over an Empire facing growing pressures on its borders. In the east, the Sasanian threat intensified under Shapur I, leading Gordian III to launch a military campaign against the Sasanian Persians from 242 onwards. It is within this warlike context that the martial iconography of the reverse takes on its full meaning, seeking to project the image of a warrior emperor and sovereign of the world, despite the young age of the ruler. Gordian III died in 244, during this eastern campaign, in circumstances that remain debated by historians.

 

 

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