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Marcus Julius Philippus

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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Roman emperor A.D. 244 to 249, often called "Philip the Arab," was a native of Bostra in Arabia Trachonitis. Having entered the Roman army, he rose to be praetorian praefect in the Persian campaign of Gordian III., and, inspiring the soldiers to slay the young emperor, was raised by them to the purple (244). Of his reign little is known except that he celebrated the secular games with great pomp in 248, when Rome was supposed to have reached the thousandth year of her existence. A rebellion broke out among the legions of Moesia, and Decius, who was sent to quell it, was forced by the troops to put himself at their head and march upon Italy. Philip was defeated and slain in a battle near Verona. Accord ing to Christian writers, he was a convert to Christianity.

See Aurelius Victor, Caesares, 28; Eutropius, ix. 3; Zonaras, xii. 19.