Image Gallery
The Roman Empire and the Crisis of the Third Century, c. 270 CE
This map illustrates the fractured state of the Roman Empire in the aftermath of the assassination of Emperor Severus Alexander (reign 222–235 CE) in 235 CE, marking the beginning of the period known as the Crisis of the Third Century. During this turbulent era, imperial authority collapsed into chaos as numerous claimants, typically backed by military legions, competed for power, leading to profound instability across the empire’s vast frontiers.
Over the next fifty years, fifty-one individuals were declared emperor, many of whom never set foot in Rome. Civil wars, economic breakdown, rampant inflation, and unrelenting external pressures ravaged the empire. Breakaway states, such as the Gallic Empire in the west (circa 260–272 CE) and the Palmyrene Empire in the east (circa 250–273 CE), challenged imperial cohesion. At the same time, repeated invasions by Germanic tribes and the rise of the Sassanid Persian Empire further strained Rome’s defenses. At the same time, the Plague of Cyprian (likely smallpox or an influenza pandemic named after a chronicle by the Bishop of Carthage) devastated the population and critically weakened the army and agricultural output. The crisis began to abate under Emperor Lucius Domitius Aurelianus - Aurelian (reign 270–275 CE), who restored territorial unity, and was ultimately brought under control through the sweeping reforms initiated by Emperor Gaius Diocletianus - Diocletian (reign 284–305 CE), which laid the foundation for a more durable and structured imperial system.
