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Admin moved page What were the causes of the 3rd century crisis in the Roman Empire? to What were the causes of the 3rd century crisis in the Roman Empire
However, a series of military Emperors managed to save the state and allowed it to continue to exist in the west for almost two hundred years and in the east for another thousand years. The origins of the Third Century Crisis is complex. It will be argued that the crisis was a result of a breakdown in army discipline, barbarian invasions, the rise of the Sassanian Empire, and natural disasters.
====The Background==How did the 3rd Century Crisis Begin? ==
In 200 AD, the Roman Empire was at its greatest extent since Trajan's reign, and a strong Emperor, Septimius Severus, governed it. The Empire seemed invincible, and it had overawed the German and Iranian tribes on its Rhine and Danuban frontiers.<ref>Hekster, Oliver. Rome and its Empire, AD 193–284 (Edinburgh 2008), p 119</ref> The Parthian Empire, once Rome’s most formidable enemy in the east, was no longer a serious threat. The local elites in the Empire had become Romanized and were very loyal to Rome.
Furthermore, parts of Dacia and the Rhine provinces were occupied by German tribes. No part of the Empire was safe from raiders, and Gothic pirates besieged even Athens. During the many wars and invasions, pan-Mediterranean trade was severely curtailed. Hyper-inflation became the norm. Agriculture was disrupted, and food shortages were common and another eruption of the plague devasted many urban centers. However, the Empire managed to pull itself back from the abyss under a series of military Emperors. The Roman army remained very formidable, and under several Illyrian Emperors, the order was restored in the provinces, and the frontiers secured.
==When did the Third Century Crisis of the Roman Empire End?The recovery began when Claudius II defeated a Gothic invasion. After he died of the plague, he was succeeded by his Master of Cavalry, Aurelian in 275 AD. He was a brilliant commander and he defeated several barbarian invasions. He then went on to defeat the Gallic and Palmyrene Empire. However, instability Instability continued after his Aurelian's assassination, and it was only with Diocletian's accession that the crisis was finally ended. However, it is widely held that the Third Century Crisis permanently weakened the Empire. It ushered in trends that many see as marking the beginning of the end of the world of Antiquity and marking the transition to the Medieval world.<ref> Brown, P, The World of Late Antiquity (W Norton, London, 1971), p. 22 </ref>
== Which Barbarian Invasions weakened Rome? ==
