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A giant of a man, contemporary sources give his height as 8' 6". Whilst this may be an exaggeration, he was certainly over 7' tall. He was born a Thracian peasant (hence the
cognomen "Thrax"). His physical size and strength brought him to the attention of Septimius Severus. He rose through the
ranks of the army to become a commander of the legions in Germany. When the army's disillusionment with Severus Alexander
came to a head, Maximinus was proclaimed emperor in his stead. His campaigns against the Germans were successful, but his innate cruelty and paranoia caused unrest. His reign saw the uprising of the Gordiani in Africa, and the rebellion of the senate, who declared two of their number, Pupienus and Balbinus as joint emperors in 238. An enraged Maximinus invaded Italy, but his own troops rebelled against him and murdered him on 24th June, 238.
Identification notes: The earliest depictions of Maximinus were made before a likeness of the new emperor had been sent to the mints. These early images are completely made-up and bear more than a
passing resemblance to Severus Alexander. Later coins, such as the two pictured here, show a truer likeness. His outstanding (literally) facial feature is his huge protruding chin. |
