Maximinus Thrax

Reece Period attributed: Period 11

Member of the Third Century Emperors dynasty.

Coins for this issuer were issued from 235 until 238.

Gaius Julius Valerius Maximinus was born in Thrace and began life as a lowly soldier. He rose through the ranks until, by the military campaigns of Severus Alexander, he had control of a legion and governorship of Mesopotamia. He was involved in Alexander’s German campaign and acclaimed emperor by his troops near Mainz.

The Senate did not like Maximinus because he spent no time in Rome and extorted huge sums of money to finance his very successful military campaigns. They also viewed him with prejudice because of his very humble origins. Gordian I and II tried to take over the government from Africa, but that rebellion was put down; in Rome, Balbienus and Pupienus were elected joint emperors by the Senate and Maximinus marched towards Rome. He was stopped in Aquileia when the town refused to offer him shelter. He started a siege but was killed by assassins who took his head to Rome.

Maximinus, also called Maximinus Thrax in refernce to his Thracian origins, was a huge man with a prominent chin. Reports characterize him as abnormally tall and very muscular.

Other resources about Maximinus Thrax

• Dbpedia: http://dbpedia.org/resource/Maximinus_Thrax
• Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maximinus_Thrax
• VIAF: http://viaf.org/viaf/72703271

View all coins recorded by the scheme attributed to Maximinus Thrax.

Information from Wikipedia

• Preferred label: Maximinus Thrax
• Full names:
• Title:
• Predecessor: Severus Alexander
• Successor: Balbinus, Pupienus
• Definition: Gaius Julius Verus Maximinus "Thrax" ("the Thracian"; c. 173 – 238) was Roman emperor from 235 to 238. His father was an accountant in the governor's office and sprang from ancestors who were Carpi (a Dacian tribe), a people whom Diocletian would eventually drive from their ancient abode (in Dacia) and transfer to Pannonia. Maximinus was the commander of the Legio IV Italica when Severus Alexander was assassinated by his own troops in 235. The Pannonian army then elected Maximinus emperor. In 238 (which came to be known as the Year of the Six Emperors), a senatorial revolt broke out, leading to the successive proclamation of Gordian I, Gordian II, Pupienus, Balbinus and Gordian III as emperors in opposition to Maximinus. Maximinus advanced on Rome to put down the revolt, but was halted at Aquileia, where he was assassinated by disaffected elements of the Legio II Parthica. Maximinus is described by several ancient sources, though none are contemporary except Herodian's Roman History. He was a so-called barracks emperor of the 3rd century; his rule is often considered to mark the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century. Maximinus was the first emperor who hailed neither from the senatorial class nor from the equestrian class.
• Parents:
  • Father:
  • Mother:
• Birth place: Roman Thrace
• Death place: Roman Italy, Aquileia
• Spouse:
  • Caecilia Paulina
• Other title(s):
  • List of Roman consuls
  • List of Roman emperors
• Came After:
  • Lucius Mummius Felix Cornelianus
  • Lucius Marius Perpetuus
• Came before:
  • Lucius Titus Claudius Quintianus
  • Gnaeus Claudius Severus (consul 235)
• Subjects on wikipedia:
  • Julii
  • Year of birth uncertain
  • Crisis of the Third Century
  • Murdered Roman emperors
  • 3rd-century Roman emperors
  • 3rd-century murdered monarchs
  • People with acromegaly
  • 170s births
  • Ancient Thrace
  • Roman-era Thracians
  • 2nd-century Romans
  • 238 deaths
  • Imperial Roman consuls