Crisis of the Third Century

Crisis of the Third Century
	; The divided Empire in 271
Date	235–285 (c. 50 years)
Location	Roman Empire
Result	Roman victory Emperor Aurelian conquers both the Palmyrene and Gallic Empires; Emperor Diocletian puts an end to the civil war; Start of the Diocletianic Persecution; Beginning of the Tetrarchy;
Territorial; changes	Reunification of the Palmyrene and Gallic Empires into the Roman Empire; Loss of parts of the Agri Decumates and Syria; Dacia abandoned;
Belligerents
Commanders and leaders

The Crisis of the Third Century, also known as the Military Anarchy or the Imperial Crisis (235–285), was a period in which the Roman Empire nearly collapsed. The crisis ended due to the military victories of Aurelian and with the accession of Diocletian and his implementation of reforms.

The crisis began in 235 with the assassination of Emperor Severus Alexander by his own troops. During the following 50-year period, the empire saw the combined pressures of barbarian invasions and migrations into Roman territory, civil wars, peasant rebellions and political instability, with multiple usurpers competing for power. This led to the debasement of currency and economic collapse, with the Plague of Cyprian contributing to the disorder. Roman troops became more reliant over time on the growing influence of the barbarian mercenaries known as foederati. Roman commanders in the field, although nominally working for Rome, became increasingly independent.

By 268, the empire had split into three competing states: the Gallic Empire (including the Roman provinces of Gaul, Britannia and, briefly, Hispania); the Palmyrene Empire (including the eastern provinces of Syria Palaestina and Aegyptus); and, between them, the Italian-centered Roman Empire proper.

There were at least 26 claimants to the title of emperor, mostly prominent Roman army generals, who assumed imperial power over all or part of the empire. The same number of men became accepted by the Roman Senate as emperor during this period and so became legitimate emperors. Later, Aurelian (270–275) reunited the empire militarily. The crisis ended with Diocletian and his restructuring of Roman imperial government in 285. This helped to stabilize the empire economically and militarily for a further 150 years.

The crisis resulted in such profound changes in the empire's institutions, society, economic life, and religion that it is increasingly seen by most historians as defining the transition between the historical periods of classical antiquity and late antiquity.

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