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Hello and welcome to the history of roam.

Episode 108, Gordian's Not.

Last week, we let the upstart senatorial regime of Pupianus and Balbinus preparing for a showdown with Maximineus Thrax and his veteran Danube legions.

While Balbinus kept an eye on Rome, Pupianus had ridden North to Ravenna to lead the defensive Italy.

But when the final showdown came, neither of the senatorial emperors were there to witness Maximineus as fall.

Neither was 13 year old Gordian III, who was destined to outlast them all.

When they emerged from the Julian Alps into Italy, Maximineus and his legions found the Po Valley deserted.

Fearing the wrath of the Thracian general, the local inhabitants had fled to the various walled cities of northern Italy, where they hoped to at least ride out the storm.

Luckily for the frightened Italians, the storm didn't make it very far before dissipating.

The first major city in Maximineus's path was Aqualea, and when he arrived in April 238, he demanded the Aqualeans throw up in the gates for their lawful sovereign.

But the citizens refused, and led by two of the senators who had been appointed in the opening days of the revolt to serve on the emergency defense committee, prepared to make a stand.

Enraged by this disobedience, Maximineus set siege to the city, and planned to make an example of it to the rest of Italy.

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