BALBINUS, DECIMUS CAELIUS CALVINUS

died 238 Roman emperor in 238. A patrician, Balbinus was a Salian priest, twice a consul, and proconsul in Asia. In 238, when the Senate led a rebellion of the Italian cities against Maximinus (emperor 235238), it placed the government in the hands of a board of 20, one of whom was Balbinus, and then chose Balbinus and Pupienus Maximus to be joint emperors. Maximus, a former city prefect, was extremely unpopular with the people of Rome. When the enraged populace besieged the Senate and emperors in the Capitol, Balbinus and Maximus extricated themselves by appointing as caesar the young Gordian, grandson of the original leader of the revolt. Balbinus remained in Rome while Maximus advanced to defeat Maximinus. When Maximus returned, Balbinus, fearing his colleague intended to make himself sole ruler, quarreled with him. The Praetorian Guards in the city took advantage of the dispute to kidnap both emperors; the two were murdered as their captors tried to escape from the German guards. Gordian was thereupon proclaimed sole emperor.