Julius Philippus (244 - 249 AD)
Family and Background
Philip was born at Shaba in the province of Arabia. We know nothing of
his life before his appointment as praetorian prefect as successor
(probably) to Timesitheus (father-in- law of Gordian III) in 243. At
that time his brother, Julius Priscus, was already praetorian prefect,
making this the only time in Roman history that two brothers held this
important office simultaneously.
Later tradition blamed Philip for Gordian's assasination. This seems
to be the result of a campaign aimed at destroying his reputation
after he was killed in 249. We do not know why he was chosen emperor
(but see General Considerations).
Principal Events (Foriegn)
- 244: treaty with Persia, large subsidy paid to Persia, agreement
of some sort about the status of Armenia (adjusting it in
Persia's favor); territorial status quo (probably) recognized.
Treaty later regarded as the first official surrender of Roman
territory, even though the territory lost was not extensive and
had really been lost by Maximinus and Gordian III.
- 245: renewal of war with Persia.
- 245: outbreak of war with the Carpi and Germans.
- 247: victory over the Carpi and Germans proclaimed.
Principal Events (Domestic)
- 244: (summer) return to Rome; appointment of two relatives
(Servianus and Priscus) to superior commands on the Danube and in
the East (possibly a year later).
- 247: Triumph over the Carpi and Germans celebrated at Rome.
- 248: Celebration of the 1000th anniversary of the foundation of Rome.
- Outbreak of the revolt of Pacatianus on the Danube.
- Outbreak of the revolt of Jotopianus in the East (possibly a year
earlier).
- 249: Decius sent to suppress revolt of Pacatianus
- (June) Decius suceeds in ending revolt of Pacatianus, but rebels
in turn against Philip.
- (October) Decius overthrows Philip; Philip is killed.
Outlines of Policy
Philip began his reign by making a treaty with Persia in which, it
appears, he agreed to the status quo at the time of Gordian's murder.
This meant that some portions of Roman territory that had not yet been
reconquered from the Persians were left under their control. He also
paid a huge indemnity. His critics claimed that this was the first
time that Rome had surrendered territory (a false claim given that
Hadrian had surrendered a great deal more at the beginning of his
reign). More seriously, however, the surrender of these bases appears
to have left the provinces of Syria and Mesopotamia (northern Iraq and
southeast Turkey) open to invasion. In any event, he does not seem to
have regarded the treaty as a permanent solution, and Rome was at war
with Persia again in 245.
The most interesting feature of Philip's administration was his
decision to leave his brother as deputy emperor in the eastern
provinces (possibly a reflection of the military situation), and
another relative as a sort of deputy emperor in the Balkans. We
cannot know why he did this, but it suggests a rather different view
of the imperial office than that of his predecessors. In addition to
this, there is evidence from Egypt and Asia Minor of other efforts at
bureaucratic reform. The temptation to see these reforms as
precursors of even more wideranging reforms at the end of the century
is, however, unwarrented: after his death Philip was scarcely regarded
as a positive example.
The most spectacular actions on Philip's part were the construction of
a vast new city on the site of his hometown, and the celebration of
the 1000th anniversary of the foundation of the city in 248. The
expenditure in both cases was enormous, and there are signs of
negative comment on both in our very scetchy sources. A further
story, that he converted to Christianity, is false.
In sum, Philip may appear either as a pragmatist (his power-sharing
and dealings with Persia being cases in point), or a very weak ruler,
dependent upon powerful relatives, who spent more money than he could
afford, provoked revolts in several parts of the empire. He seems to
have alienated a significant part of the army as well as some
significant members of the aristocracy.
Further Reading
Zosimus, New History (a sixth century history
of varying reliablity, and never very informative);
Eutropius, Short History of Rome;
Aurelius Victor, Short History of Rome;
Anonymous, Short History of Rome;
Potter, Prophecy and History in the Crisis of the Roman Empire.