Numerian, Roman Emperor
Numerian, as he was known in English, was a Roman Emperor whose full name was Marcus Aurelius Numerianus. He had quite a short term as an emperor, having remained in power for only a little more than a year, from December in the year 283 AD until November in the year 284 AD.
As well as being the son of the Roman Emperor Carus, Numerian was also brother to another emperor, Carinus. He himself was proclaimed Caesar in the fall of the year 282 AD, a short time after his father took control of the throne.
Numerian would later marry the daughter of the prefect of the Praetorian Guard, who was named Lucius Flavius Aper. Accompanied by his new father-in-law, Numerian joined his father Emperor Carus in his march on a campaign against the armies of the Sassanid Empire. His brother Carinus had previously been proclaimed Augustus in Gaul.
Emperor Carus died suddenly in December of 283 AD, and Numerian, who had previously been given the honorary title of Augustus, was left with the sole responsibility of bringing the armies back home to its base.
The circumstances surrounding many of the details of Numerian's death have been shrouded in mystery for many years and even up to the present day there is no sign of the mystery ever being cleared. The most reliable account places the young emperor in Emesa in March of the year 284 AD, which was the very same year of his appointment to the position of consul.
According to this account, the emperor was on a march when he suddenly fell ill and seemed to be quite unwell. His father-in-law, Lucius Flavius Aper reportedly told him that he had an inflammation in his eyes. He felt that it would be best if Numerian resumed the rest of the journey, safe and secure, inside a covered coach. The emperor agreed and entered the coach and that was the last time that anyone had seen him alive.
The journey proceeded on for a few days without event and indeed without a word from the young emperor. After quite some time had passed, the soldiers who were accompanying the party became quite suspicious and detected an unpleasant smell that seemed to be emanating from the emperor's covered carriage. They opened the door to the carriage and much to their surprise and shock they were met by the sight of their dead emperor who had obviously passed away many days before.
Naturally many rumours and theories started to circulate quickly in the wake of this latest event. One of the most often repeated bits of speculation is that the emperor had died of natural causes within his covered carriage, and the soldiers, who upon discovering his dead body, and perhaps in an effort to avoid further instability among the troops, decided to keep his death a secret.
Their fears were later realised for Valerius Diocles, the commander of the imperial bodyguard, upon learning of Numerian's death accused Aper of murdering him and subsequently put Aper to death. Diocles then assumed control of the throne.
Original Authors: Doods Pangburn
Edit Update Authors: M.A.Harris
Updated On: 22/07/2008
