Son of Carus and brother of Carinus, Numerian's brief stint as emperor started when he along with his father set out for war against the Sassanians in Persia (Iran). Under mysterious circumstances Carus was incinerated in his tent just prior to the military encounter of the two armies. The official explanation was that the tent had been stricken by lightning but this has been interpreted as much too convenient. As the battle was called off and the army was returning Numerian, too, was found dead in his quarters. This time a hasty investigation was started and the Praetorian Prefect, a certain Aper, was killed on the spot by Diocletian. He then proclaimed himself emperor and renouncing Carinus. With the suspicious death of Numerian the report of Carus's death made for a more compelling story that the Prefect had had a hand in their deaths. It is likely that Diocletian had engineered a sophisticated conspiracy using Aper as the central pawn and then scapegoat.
