Numerian facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Numerian |
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Antoninianus of Numerian
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| Roman emperor | |||||||||
| Augustus Caesar |
July 283 – November 284 282 – July 283 |
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| Predecessor | Carus | ||||||||
| Successor | Diocletian | ||||||||
| Co-emperors | Carinus (283–284) | ||||||||
| Died | November 284 Emesa |
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| Spouse | Daughter of Arrius Aper | ||||||||
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| Father | Carus | ||||||||
Numerian (Latin: Marcus Aurelius Numerius Numerianus) was a Roman emperor who ruled from 283 to 284 AD. He ruled alongside his older brother, Carinus. They were both sons of Carus, a powerful general.
Contents
Becoming Emperor: Numerian's Early Life and Carus's Reign
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Numerian was the younger son of Carus. In 282, soldiers in the Roman army chose Carus to be their new emperor. This happened after a rebellion against the previous emperor, Probus. Some stories say Probus was killed by his own soldiers.
Carus wanted his family to continue ruling. So, he quickly made both Carinus and Numerian into "Caesars." This was a special title for future emperors.
In 283, Emperor Carus decided to go to war against the Sassanid Empire in the East. He left Carinus in charge of the western part of the Roman Empire. Carus took Numerian and his trusted general, Arrius Aper, with him to the East.
The Sassanids were having problems with their own leaders at the time. This meant they could not stop Carus's army. Carus won a big victory against them. He captured important cities like Seleucia and Ctesiphon. These cities were on opposite sides of the Tigris River. To celebrate this victory, Carus, Numerian, and Carinus all took the special title Persici maximi. This meant "Greatest Victor in Persia."
Sadly, Carus died in July or August of 283. Some people said he was struck by lightning.
Numerian and Carinus Rule Together
After Carus died, Numerian and Carinus became the new "Augusti." This was the highest title for a Roman emperor. Carinus quickly traveled back to Rome from Gaul, arriving in January 284. Numerian, however, stayed in the East.
The Roman army left Persia in an orderly way. The Persian King, Bahram II, was still busy trying to control his own kingdom. So, he did not attack the Romans.
Numerian slowly made his way back towards Rome. By March 284, he had only reached Emesa (Homs) in Syria. By November, he was only in Asia Minor. In Emesa, he seemed to be healthy. He even issued an official order there.
After Emesa, Numerian's staff said he had an eye infection. Because of this, he had to travel in a closed carriage. When the army reached a place called Bithynia, or perhaps Thrace, some soldiers noticed a bad smell. It smelled like a dead body coming from Numerian's carriage. They opened the curtains and found Numerian was dead.
What Happened After Numerian's Death
General Aper officially announced Numerian's death in Nicomedia (İzmit) in November 284. However, some stories say the soldiers found out first. They forced open the imperial tent to see why their emperor was hidden.
Numerian's generals and leaders held a meeting to choose a new emperor. They met at Chalcedon. They chose Diocletian to be the new emperor. Diocletian was the commander of the cavalry, a special part of the army. Aper had tried to get support for himself, but it didn't work.
The army in the East was very happy with their new emperor. Diocletian put on the purple imperial clothes. He swore an oath, saying he was not responsible for Numerian's death. He claimed that Aper had killed Numerian and tried to hide it. Then, right in front of the whole army, Diocletian killed Aper.
Numerian's Character
Some historical writings say that Numerian was a very smart person. He was good at writing and speaking. He was known as a great speaker and a poet. It is said that the Roman Senate even put up a statue of him. The statue was inscribed with the words, To the most powerful of orators.
Family tree
| previous Marcus Claudius Tacitus Roman Emperor 275-276 |
Florianus Roman Emperor 276 |
Probus Roman Emperor 276-282 |
 Carus Roman Emperor 282-283 |
next Diocletian Roman Emperor 284-305 ∞ Prisca |
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Carinus Roman Emperor 282-284 ∞ Magnia Urbica |
Numerian co-emperor 282-284 |
Galeria Valeria | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
See also
In Spanish: Numeriano para niños
