235 CE
Emperor Severus Alexander and his mother Iulia Mamaea are murdered by their own soldiers. The soldiers proclaim Maximinus Thrax as emperor. The Severan dynasty ends, marking the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century. Pope Pontian resigns, the first to abdicate, because he and Hippolytus, church leader of Rome, are exiled to the mines of Sardinia. Emperor Maximinus persecutes the Christians. Anterus succeeds Pontian as the nineteenth pope of Rome.
Religion & Belief
Crime & Justice
- March 22 – Emperor Severus Alexander and his mother Iulia Mamaea are murdered by their own soldiers. The soldiers proclaim Maximinus Thrax as emperor. The Severan dynasty ends, marking the beginning of the Crisis of the Third Century.source
Births
- Sun Xiu, Chinese emperor of the Eastern Wu state (d. 264)source
Deaths
- March 22 – Severus Alexander, Roman emperor (b. 208)source
- Tiberius Julius Cotys III (or Kotys), Roman client kingsource
- Yang Yi (or Weigong), Chinese official and advisersource
- Gaius Petronius Magnus, Roman consul and usurpersource
- Xin Pi (or Zuozhi), Chinese official and politiciansource
- Hippolytus, Christian theologian and writer (b. 170)source
- Chen Zhen (or Xiaoqi), Chinese official and politiciansource
- Titius Quartinus, Roman governor and usurpersource
- Julia Avita Mamaea, mother of Severus Alexander (b. 180)source
- Tiberius Julius Rhescuporis IV, Roman client kingsource
- Cao Gun, Chinese imperial princesource