GORDIANUS, surnamed the Pius, was grandson of the elder Gordian. When the news of his grandfather's death reached Rome, the senators elected Maximus and Balbinus emperors, as best fitted to oppose the threatened attack of Maximin; but the people insisted that one of the family of Gordian should also be raised to the empire. This boy was only thirteen years of age; and when Maximus and Balbinus fell in an insurrection of the soldiers, Gordian was left as sole emperor. Having married Fabia Sabina Tranquillina, the daughter of his master of rhetoric, he appointed his father-in-law Mictheus prefect of the praetorian guards, and through his assistance emancipated himself from the hands of his mother's eunuchs. Mictheus proved himself an able minister, and discharged the military duties of his office with vigour and ability. He induced the young emperor to proceed against the Persians, who had invaded Mesopotamia, and during the whole of the expedition Mictheus watched over the safety and discipline of the army. Mictheus, however, died, with strong suspicions of having been poisoned by Philip, his successor in the prefecture. A short time afterwards a sedition broke out among the soldiers, which was fomented by Philip, and Gordian was killed, A. D. 244, near the conflux of the Euphrates with the little river Aboras. (See L'Histoire des quatre Gordiens, par Abbé Dubos; also Caspar, Historia trium Gordianorum, Deventer, 1697.)