The Crisis of the Third Century

The Gallic Empire, Roman Empire and Palmyrene Empire during the crises

The crises starts with the death of Emperor Alexander Severus in 235 A.D. The Emperor was too focused on fighting Persia and didn’t pay much attention to the Germanic incursions that were killing Roman troops. Alexander lost the respect of his troops when he started paying the Germans to leave. This led to his assassination.

After the death of Alexander Severus Roman generals neglected their duties and started fighting for the throne. Without protection Roman provinces were frequently raided by Germanic tribes such as the Alamanni. In the east Sassanid Persia launched attacks on a weakened Roman Empire.

In 251 the plague of Cyprian broke out and killed a large amount of Romans.

During the early part of the crises several Emperors ruled for very short terms. The crises escalated after the death of Emperor Valerian in 260. The Empire split into three seperate states, the Gallic Empire in the west and the Palmyrene Empire in the east, with Rome trapped in the middle.

The crises reached its climax in 268 with the battle of Naissus in which Rome beat an army of marauding Goths.

Militaristic Emperors found their way onto the throne and reunited the Empire militarily. By 274 the empire was reunited after defeating the Gallic Empire, the Palmyrene Empire and the Sassanid Empire while fending off barbarians.

This near collapse experience led to the fortification of Rome and other cities. The economic system was ruined with the destruction of many Roman cities and the dispersing of their populations, especially in the west.

Aurelian and the other soldier-Emperors had defended Rome from external threats and reunited the Empire but the problems that caused the crises needed to be addressed, especially the fact that the succession of Emperors was not clarified (throughout the crises the senate named 26 people Emperor).

The crises ended with the reign of Emperor Diocletian. Diocletian started out as a commoner in Dalmatia (modern day Croatia) before joining the army. He quickly rose up through the ranks of the army until he was the Emperor’s cavalry commander. After Emperor Carus’ death Diocletian was proclaimed Emperor in 284.

Emperor Diocletian stabilised Rome and ended the crises. Diocletian created the tetrarchy and split the Empire between three Emperors.

The Empire was split beween Constantius (yellow), Maximius (blue/green), Diocletian (purple) and Galerius (pink)

This arrangement only lasted until his death, however, but during his life the Empire restabilised and went on to survive until 476 A.D.