The Roman Empire’s Crisis of the Third Century
This is an article from Ancient Origins. I recommend the website for those interested in history. They cover a wide range of things so pick what appeals to you.
The crisis of the 3rd century was caused by corruption. It includes the period of the "barracks emperors." These were legion generals who claimed the title emperor. They had no ties to the great families of Rome (where emperors were suppose to come from).
The history of the Roman Republic , and subsequently, the Roman Empire, is vast and rich, full of intrigues, conflicts, and incredible conquests. But no empire is without weaknesses, and history is often unforgiving and unpredictable.
During the third century AD, the Roman Empire experienced its biggest crisis ever - inner instability, civil wars, and numerous , all threatened to collapse what was the largest empire in the world. How does an empire of such size weather that crisis and can it emerge as strong as before?
Were the results of this troubling period a crucial milestone in the development of the world’s history? Today we answer this and more, digging deep into the crucial developments of the era and understanding just what contributed to this major crisis that brought the world’s most powerful empire to its knees.
One Assassination Too Many – The Start of the Crisis of the Third Century
The crisis began at a critical time for the Roman Empire. The young emperor Severus Alexander, was the fifth ruler of the Severan dynasty, which was at the head of the Roman Empire from 193 to 235 AD. He became the emperor when he was just 14 years old, making him the second youngest ruler in Roman history.