Gordianus the name of three Roman emperors. Marcus Antonius Gordianus I, descended from a noble family, and distinguished for his literary education, was twice consul, under Caracalls and Severus. By the latter he was appointed proconsul of the province of Africa, in which position he gained the affection of :the people of the province to so high a degree, that on the assassination of the emperor Maeximinus, he was, at the age of 80 years, proclaimed emperor in 238, together with his son, who assumed the same of Marcus Antonius Gordianus II. The Roman Senate recognized them; but after a reign of only a few weeks Gordianus II fell in a battle at Carthage against Capellianus, the governor of Mauritania, and Gordianus I, on hearing the news, killed himself. At the demand of the Roman people, a minor grandson of Gordianus I was placed as Caesear by, the side of Pupienus Maximus and Balbinus, who had been elected emperors against Maximinus; and when all these three emperors were killed by their own soldiers, he was still in the same year (238) proclaimed as Augustus by thee Praetorians. He carried on a successful war against the Persians, and had an excellent adviser in his father-in-law Misitheus. He reigned until 244, when Philippus the Arabian who for some time had been his colleague, caused him to be assassinated. The Christian Church during the reign of Gordianus was undisturbed. (A.J.S.)
The Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature was edited by John McClintock and James Strong. It contains nearly 50,000 articles pertaining to Biblical and other religious literature, people, creeds, etc. It is a fantastic research tool for broad Christian study.
John McClintock was born October 27, 1814 in Philadelphia to Irish immigrants, John and Martha McClintock. He began as a clerk in his father's store, and then became a bookkeeper in the Methodist Book Concern in New York. Here he converted to Methodism and considered joining the ministry. McClintock entered the University of Pennsylvania in 1832 and graduated with high honors three years later. Subsequently, he was awarded a doctorate of divinity degree from the same institution in 1848.WikipediaRead More