Balbinus

• 1. Origins And Early Career

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  Decimus Caelius Calvinus Balbinus emerged from the Roman aristocracy around 178 AD. His lineage remains a subject of historical conjecture rather than confirmed fact. Scholars suggest he might have descended from Publius Coelius Balbinus Vibullius Pius, who served as consul ordinarius in 137 AD. This potential connection would link him to the family of Q. Pompeius Falco and the 1st-century author Julius Frontinus. He was born into the patrician class, either by birth or through adoption by Caelius Calvinus. That father held the position of legate of Cappadocia in 184 AD. Balbinus also belonged to the college of Salii priests dedicated to Mars. Herodian records that he governed provinces, though the specific list varies wildly between sources. The Historia Augusta claims he served seven different provinces, but modern historians view this list as likely invented. One statement suggests he acted as Proconsul of both Asia and Africa, yet this detail lacks reliable confirmation. What is certain is his political ascent. He served twice as consul, with his first term occurring around 203 AD or possibly July 211 AD. His second consulate took place in 213 AD alongside Emperor Caracalla. This repeated service indicates he enjoyed significant favor during the reign of Caracalla.

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• 2. The Year Of Six Emperors

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  April 238 AD marked a moment of extreme instability within the Roman Empire. News arrived regarding the defeat of the Gordians, prompting immediate Senate action. The body voted to elevate two men as co-emperors: Pupienus and Balbinus. Both candidates were senior senators who had already achieved the consulship multiple times. Balbinus was likely in his early seventies at this time, while Pupienus was sixty years old. Their advanced age suggested they possessed full maturity and experience for rule. Unlike the situation in 161 AD, both emperors were elected as pontifices maximi. They became chief priests of the official cults simultaneously. This dual appointment would have been unthinkable during Republican times. The Senate also forced them to co-opt the child Gordian III as a colleague shortly after their election. While Pupienus marched north to Ravenna to oversee the campaign against Maximinus, Balbinus remained in Rome. He stayed behind to manage domestic affairs while his partner handled military threats. Sources indicate that public order began to slip under Balbinus's watchful eye. The partnership between the two men quickly deteriorated into mutual distrust. They suspected each other of plotting for sole power rather than shared governance.

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• 3. Civilian Rule And Military Failure

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  Edward Gibbon described Balbinus as an admired orator and a poet of distinguished fame. He had exercised civil jurisdiction with innocence and applause across almost all interior provinces. His manners were liberal and affable, yet he maintained a sense of dignity. Habits of ease did not deprive him of capacity for business. Despite these civilian virtues, his administration faced immediate challenges. Pupienus left Rome to fight external threats near Ravenna. Balbinus stayed behind but failed to keep public order within the city. The sources suggest that after Pupienus returned victorious following Maximinus' death, tensions rose sharply. Both emperors began to distrust one another deeply. Pupienus attempted to warn Balbinus about a specific plot brewing among the soldiers. Balbinus dismissed the warning entirely. He believed the Praetorian Guard would instead secure the throne for himself. This miscalculation proved fatal for both leaders. Their inability to maintain unity allowed disaffected elements within the military to act. The failure to control the streets of Rome created a vacuum of authority. It was a stark contrast to their earlier reputations as wise magistrates and experienced politicians.

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• 4. Assassination By The Praetorians

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  Disaffected elements of the Praetorian Guard conspired against the joint rule of Pupienus and Balbinus. The murder occurred shortly after their victory over Maximinus. Pupienus tried to alert Balbinus to the danger facing them. The older emperor refused to believe the threat was real. He thought the guard intended to place him on the throne alone rather than kill them. This decision sealed their fate. Both men were assassinated by these very soldiers they had hoped to command. The event took place in 238 AD during the Year of the Six Emperors. Herodian records that the Praetorian Guard acted decisively to remove the unpopular pair. The sources suggest the Senate's choice of two elderly co-emperors had backfired spectacularly. The military did not accept their authority despite their high status. The assassination ended a reign that lasted only three months. It demonstrated the fragility of imperial power when backed by a hostile army.

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• 5. Imperial Coinage Reforms

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  Minting of the antoninianus coin type had been halted by Emperor Elagabalus in 219 AD. Balbinus and his colleague Pupienus restarted this production under their joint reign. This resumption marked a return to standard currency practices after years of suspension. The coins served as a visible symbol of their restored authority. They issued new issues to circulate throughout the empire. The restart of minting helped stabilize the economy temporarily. It also signaled a break from the policies of the previous emperor. Historians note this financial move alongside their political struggles. The coins provide one of the few tangible links to their short rule. They remain important artifacts for understanding the economic state of Rome in 238 AD.

• 6. The Sarcophagus Discovery

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  A marble sarcophagus discovered near the Via Appia bears a portrait of Balbinus. It is held in collection at the Museo di Pretastato within the catacombs of Praetextatus. The site lies in the Park of the Caffarella near the Appian Way at Rome. Presumably while holding the title of Emperor, Balbinus commissioned this piece for himself and his wife. Her name remains unknown to history. Discovered in fragments, the object was later restored to its current form. It stands as the only example of a Roman Imperial sarcophagus of this type to have survived. On the lid reclining figures depict both Balbinus and his wife together. The figure of the Emperor serves as a fine portrait of him during his reign. Although accounts emphasize him as the civilian against Pupienus the military man, he appears on the sarcophagus in full military dress. This visual contradiction offers insight into how he wished to be remembered. The artifact provides a rare glimpse into imperial art from the Year of Six Emperors.

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