Ancient - AD 238 AR NGC MS Fine Style Ex. Kern

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Product Description Pupienus (Marcus Pupienus Maximus , c. 165/170--29 July 238), also known as Pupienus Maximus, was with for three months during 238, the Year of the Six Emperors. A member of the aristocracy, he served in several important positions during the rule of the Severan dynasty. While serving as governor in one of the German provinces, Pupienus became very popular and won military victories over the and German tribes. The year 234 saw him appointed Urban Prefect of Rome, gaining a reputation for harshness that made him unpopular with the Roman mob. After Gordian I and his son were proclaimed Emperors in , the Senate created a committee of 20 senators to organize operations against , the much-hated Emperor who was being pushed out of power, until the Gordians arrived in Rome. In 238, after news of the Gordians' defeat and deaths, however, the Senate met in a closed session and voted for two committee members, Pupienus and Balbinus, to rule as co-emperors. Pupienus was a soldier and Balbinus a civilian. However they were forced to take on Gordian III as a colleague. This was because there were factions within the Senate, however, that had hoped to profit from the rule of Gordian I and II. To that end, they did their best to turn the people and the against Pupienus and Balbinus, and promoted the idea of making the 13-year-old Gordian III Emperor. In April 238, after leaving Balbinus responsible for civil administration in Rome, Pupienus marched to , where he led the campaign against Maximinus. For that purpose he recruited German troops that had served under him when he was governor in . After Maximinus was assassinated by his own men outside of , Pupienus sent both Maximinus's and his own soldiers back to their provinces, returning to Rome with his new German bodyguard. Upon returning to Rome, he discovered that Balbinus had been unable to maintain public order while he was away. It appears that Balbinus believed that Pupienus would use his newly acquired German bodyguard to unseat him from the throne. Shortly thereafter they lived in different quarters of the Imperial palace. They were then at the mercy of resentful elements of the Praetorians who were unhappy serving under emperors who were appointed by the Senate. Now the Praetorians were plotting to kill them. Pupienus came to be aware of the plot and begged Balbinus to summon the German bodyguard. Balbinus refused, thinking that this was part of a plot by Pupienus to have him murdered, and the two began to argue vehemently just as the Praetorians burst into the room. Seized and dragged back to the Praetorian garrison, the two emperors were tortured and brutally hacked to death in the bath house. Gordian III was then installed as Emperor. Product Specification More Information Grading Service NGC

Grade MS60

Ancient Year Range 201-300 AD

Denom Type Ancient

Numeric Denomination AR Denarius

Mint Location NONE

Designation NONE

Circ/UnCirc Uncirculated

Strike Type Business

Holder Variety Strike 5/5; Surface 4/5 Fine Style

Grade Add On NONE

Holder Type N/A