A history of the Roman Empire in the middle part of the third century A.D. Ancient ways of life were collapsing in those years. The calm ideality of classical art had become difficult even to copy. Cities, the hearts of ancient civilization, had begun to forget their heritage, some of them because they had fallen into poverty, others because they were raped and ravaged by barbarians. Much of the countryside also succumbed to the barbarians, who burned and plundered as they swept through.
The decades before Diocletian have often been viewed as the nadir of the Roman experience. Recently, however, scholars have started to see a certain amount of glory in them — the glory, for instance, of philosophical questing, religious fervor, stubborn self-sacrifice, and almost superhuman military achievement. These were years of birth as well as of disruption. They were the years that made the renewed empire possible.
The book is heavily illustrated with pictures of coins of the period, of which Dr. Brauer is an avid collector.
Author(s): George C. Brauer, Jr.
Series: Noyes Classical Studies
Publisher: Noyes Press
Year: 1975
Language: English
Commentary: Pages X and 1 are missing.
Pages: X+288
City: Park Ridge, New Jersey
Introduction 1
1. The Roman World of Philip the Arab 3
2. Decius and the Christians 19
3. Cyprian and the Christians 38
4. The End of Decius 51
5. The Reign of Gallus 58
6. The Empire as a Tired Old Man 68
7. Heretics and Martyrs 97
8. The Closing Years 121
9. Son of the Captive Emperor 127
10. Gallienus at Rome 145
11. The Philosopher 152
12. Chaos Compounded 162
13. Claudius Gothicus 177
14. The Advent of Aurelius 188
15. The Overthrow of Zenobia 198
16. The Hermit 218
17. Aurelian Triumphant 225
18. Reform, Benevolence and Death 233
19. The Next Hero 239
20. Probus 243
21. Carus and His Dynasty 257
22. Prospect 265
Bibliography 268
Index 276
