PHILIPPUS, Μ. Julius, Roman emperor from 244 to 249 A.D., often called “Philip the Arab,” was a native of Bostra or the Trachonitis, who, exchanging the predatory life of the Arabs who hung on the desert borders of the empire for Roman military service, rose to be praetorian prefect in the Persian campaign of Gordian III., and, inspiring the soldiers to mutiny and 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. A rebellion broke out among the legions of Maesia, and Decius, who was sent to quell it, was forced by the troops to put himself at their head. Philip was defeated near Verona and perished in or after the battle, leaving a very evil reputation. Eusebius knows a current opinion that Philip was a Christian; Jerome and later writers state this as a fact. But at best his Christianity must have been merely nominal and had no effect on his life or reign. With Philip perished his son and colleague, then a boy of twelve, who is known as Philippus II.