Philip II (Roman emperor)
Roman emperor from 247 to 249
Philip II (Latin: Marcus Julius Severus Philippus; 237, 249), also known as Philip the Younger, was the son and heir of the Roman emperor Philip the Arab by his wife Marcia Otacilia Severa.
01Life
When his father became emperor in 244, the 7-year-old Philip was appointed caesar. In 247 he became consul, and was later elevated by his father to the rank of augustus and co-ruler. The thousandth anniversary of the founding of Rome occurred during their reign and great games and spectacles were held for the occasion.
Ancient historians say that Philip the Arab and Philip II were both killed in battle by Decius in 249. Modern historians say that when news of Philip the Arab's death reached Rome, Philip II was murdered by the Praetorian Guard at the age of twelve. Some argue that Philip II was sole ruler of the empire for the fall of 249.
The Medieval Catholic work Golden Legend, claims that he and his father became Christians, possibly converted by Origen, and that Phillip II died a Martyr. The historicity of this event is debated by scholars.
Sources and credits
This article is adapted from the Wikipedia article “Philip II (Roman emperor)”, written by its contributors and licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0. Fathomly has changed the layout, removed citation markers, navigation and maintenance notices, and adjusted punctuation. This adapted version is shared under the same license. For references, see the original article.
Images, from Wikimedia Commons:
- MSR-ra-73-h-1-DM.jpg by Daniel Martin, CC BY-SA 4.0
- Aureus Philippus II (obverse).jpg by Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG, CC BY-SA 3.0 ch
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