The third century A.D. saw the once mighty Roman empire plunged into a turmoil known as the crisis of the third century, the Roman empire stood on the brink of destruction. An almost nonstop deluge of crises hit the empire, from relentless invasions form the north and east, economic crash, civil wars, and no less than twenty six Roman emperors in fifty years.
Out of this turmoil, the Roman empire would see one of its greatest rules rise to power. The emperor Aurelian would come to power and begin to rectify the carnage and chaos that spawned from the inefficiency of his predecessors. Born in either 214 A.D. or 215 A.D. to humble circumstances, the would-be emperor joined the imperial legions to serve his empire. Serving under the emperors Gallienus and Claudius Gothicus, Aurelian promptly rose through the ranks of the Roman military to the position of Magister equitum, a very high and prominent position within the legions. The year 270 A.D. saw the death of the emperor Claudius Gothicus, a strong emperor who achieved great victories over the Gothic peoples, and most importantly the ascension of the emperor Aurelian.
(https://totalwar.fandom.com/wiki/Lucius_Aurelian)
Aurelian rose to power during the height of the crisis of the third century, however, he did not become emperor of all the Roman lands, the third century saw large factions of Roman lands secede from Rome. The eastern provinces had fallen to the rule of the empress Zenobia’s Palmyrene Empire, and Gaul and Britain had ceded to the rule of Tetricus’ Gallic Empire. As well as large swathes of the Roman empire falling to usurpers and pretenders. The secession of these former Roman lands was not the only issue that the newly crowned emperor Aurelian had to deal with, the northern frontiers of the empire were still under attack form Germanic tribes. Vandals, Sarmatians, and Juthungi tribes all attacked, and all were repelled back across the Rhine and Danube frontiers by Aurelian, freeing him, and allowing to re unify the Roman empire.
Join us next time to see how Aurelian deals with the pretender empires and his attempts to save the Roman empire.
Fun fact. Aurelians full reginal title at the time of his death was: Imperator Caesar Lucius Domitius Aurelianus pius felix invictus Augustus, pontifex maximus, Germanicus maximus, Gothicus maximus, Parthicus maximus, Carpicus maximus, tribunicia potestate VI, consul III, Imperator, pater patriae, proconsul, restitutor orbis
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