Event Summary
In 238 CE, Rome experienced the most extreme succession crisis in its history. Six emperors rose and fell within a single year. The collapse of Maximinus Thrax’s rule unleashed simultaneous revolts, senatorial desperation, and military fragmentation. The events of this year exposed the complete breakdown of imperial legitimacy and confirmed the irreversible onset of the Third-Century Crisis.
Background: After Maximinus Thrax
Maximinus Thrax ruled through military coercion and fiscal extraction, alienating both the Senate and provincial elites. His absence from Rome and hostility toward traditional authority created an opening for revolt. By 238 CE, resentment crystallized into open rebellion. The empire no longer possessed a shared mechanism for choosing or sustaining emperors.
Gordian I and Gordian II — Provincial Revolt in Africa
In North Africa, local elites proclaimed the elderly Gordian I and his son Gordian II as emperors. Their elevation reflected senatorial hopes for restoration and relief from Maximinus’s oppression. However, their authority rested on fragile provincial support. Within weeks, loyalist forces defeated Gordian II in battle. Gordian I committed suicide soon after. Their rapid collapse revealed how little infrastructure remained for coordinated resistance.
Pupienus and Balbinus — Senatorial Rule Without Force
After the Gordians’ deaths, the Senate panicked. It appointed two senior senators, Pupienus and Balbinus, as co-emperors. This decision represented a last attempt to restore collective governance. Pupienus took military command while Balbinus managed civil affairs. Yet neither possessed army loyalty. Their authority remained theoretical rather than enforceable.
Popular Unrest and the Praetorian Guard
The Roman populace distrusted the senatorial emperors, fearing elitist rule. The Praetorian Guard resented exclusion from power. Tensions escalated rapidly within the capital. Despite senatorial intentions, Rome itself became unstable. The city could no longer function as a political anchor for the empire.
The Fall of Maximinus Thrax
Meanwhile, Maximinus marched toward Italy to suppress rebellion. At Aquileia, his siege failed amid supply shortages and declining morale. Soldiers assassinated Maximinus and his son. His death removed the immediate threat but did not restore order. Instead, it accelerated internal collapse.
Murder of Pupienus and Balbinus
With Maximinus dead, the Praetorian Guard acted decisively. In mid-238 CE, guardsmen stormed the palace and brutally murdered Pupienus and Balbinus. Senatorial rule ended in humiliation and bloodshed. The capital itself had become a battlefield of competing authorities.
Gordian III — Child Emperor and Temporary Stabilization
In desperation, the Senate proclaimed the teenage Gordian III emperor. His youth made him non-threatening and acceptable to all factions. Real power passed to military commanders and advisers. While Gordian’s elevation ended immediate chaos, it did not solve structural instability. Authority shifted fully away from institutions toward whoever controlled armed force.
Structural Meaning of the Crisis
The Year of the Six Emperors demonstrated that Rome no longer possessed a stable succession system. Senate authority failed. Dynastic legitimacy failed. Military loyalty fragmented. Emperors became expendable, symbolic figures amid armed competition. The empire entered a phase of chronic emergency governance.
Why It Matters
The Crisis of 238 CE marked the definitive collapse of Roman political order. Six emperors in one year exposed the failure of law, tradition, and consensus. Power now rested solely on military force. This year crystallized the Third-Century Crisis, inaugurating decades of instability, rapid successions, and structural decline that reshaped the Roman Empire permanently.
References:
- Michael Grant, The Roman Emperors: A Biographical Guide to the Rulers of Imperial Rome, 31 BC–AD 476. 1985.
- Scarre, Christopher. Chronicle of the Roman Emperors: The Reign-by-Reign Record of the Rulers of Imperial Rome. 1995.
- David S. Potter, Emperors of Rome: The Story of Imperial Rome from Julius Caesar to the Last Emperor. 2011.
About Dr. Gerti Tashko, MD
Dr. Gerti Tashko, MD, is an endocrinologist in Montgomery County, Maryland. He is uniquely quadruple board-certified in endocrinology, lipidology, hypertension, and obesity medicine. His practice delivers root-cause-focused metabolic and endocrine care, available virtually and in person. He uses advanced diagnostics, personalized nutrition, and preventive medicine to improve long-term health.
