The Roman Senate once appointed a 74-year-old soldier to save the empire from collapse.

History · Published 3 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In the chaotic year 238, the Roman Senate faced an existential crisis. To counter the barbarian threat of Maximinus, they bypassed tradition and elected two co-emperors. One was Pupienus, a seasoned military commander whose brief, 99-day reign ended in a brutal palace coup that exposed the fragility of senatorial power.

The rise of Pupienus Maximus occurred during a period of extreme instability. By 238, the Senate—an institution that had evolved from an advisory council of patricians in 509 BC into a body with extensive administrative and financial control—found itself struggling to maintain authority against military leaders. When the Gordians were defeated in Africa, the Senate convened in the Temple of Jupiter Capitolinus to appoint two of their own, Pupienus and Balbinus, as co-emperors. This was a desperate attempt to restore order and resist the advancing Maximinus.

Pupienus was a distinguished soldier, already 74 years old at the time of his elevation. While his colleague Balbinus managed civil affairs in Rome, Pupienus took the field to confront Maximinus. He successfully recruited German auxiliary troops, leveraging his past experience as a governor in German provinces. After Maximinus was assassinated by his own soldiers near Aquileia, Pupienus returned to Rome, but his reliance on a German bodyguard created deep suspicion. Balbinus feared his co-emperor intended to use these troops to seize total control, leading to a fatal breakdown in their partnership.

The tension between the two emperors left them vulnerable to the Praetorian Guard, who resented being commanded by Senate-appointed rulers. As the two men argued over whether to summon the German guard for protection, the Praetorians seized them. They were dragged to the barracks, tortured, and killed in a bath house. Their rule lasted only 99 days. This tragic end highlighted the reality that, despite the Senate’s historical prestige and its role in managing the treasury and provinces, it had become entirely subordinate to the military and the emperor in the later Roman constitution.

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