3rd Century (Vastator Orbis)

The third century was the period of time between 201 and 300 AD. This century saw extensive turmoil within the Roman Empire, which ultimately resulted in its permanent fragmentation. This period of upheaval is known as the Crisis of the Third Century. Sparked by the extinction of the Severan Dynasty, the Crisis left Rome at a breaking point. With pressure on all frontiers, frequent civil wars, economic depression, and deadly plagues and famines, Rome could no longer sustain itself. In 260, Postumus led the Gallic Empire to be a de facto independent state, followed shortly by the Palmyrene Empire in 270. These states would become the first of many such 'usurper states,' whose long-standing claims for the throne resulted in the creation of practically autonomous states.

The point of divergence from our universe takes place in 270 AD. For events that took place prior to the PoD, as well as a list of what took place in our timeline, please refer to Wikipedia's article on the subject.

270 AD
'AUTHOR'S NOTE: SOURCES DISAGREE ON WHEN CLAUDIUS GOTHICUS DIED; THE UNRELIABLE HISTORIA AUGUSTUS'' NOTES THAT HE DIED IN EARLY 270 WHILE OTHER SOURCES PLACE HIS DEATH A FEW MONTHS LATER. TO REFLECT THIS, EXACT DATES WILL NOT BE GIVEN.''' Rome's Danube and Rhine borders are both under attack by various Germanic groups. Though these so-called invasions are largely simple ethnic migrations, others follow a loose confederation led by the Alemanni king Chroccus. His forces have steamrolled Rome's Upper Germanic limes and crossed into Italy and Gaul. According to Gregory of Tours (OTL 538 - 594 AD), Chroccus' quarrel was not simply with the Romans. He intended to displace the Gallic and Germanic populations already settled in Gaul. In doing so, Chroccus has separated Italy from the rebelling Gallic Empire. At the same time, Rome is facing a formidable enemy on the Danube for the first time: the Goths threaten Thrace and Greece. Dacia is overrun. '''Emperor Claudius II has been campaigning against the Goths since 268 AD, having already secured a major victory at Naissus. With the majority of his Danube forces engaged against the Goths, Claudius can do little about Chroccus' invasion.''' The Gallic Empire, just having lost Postumus, stands alone against the Alemanni...

'''Throughout this invasion, a plague has struck all the parts of the Empire, accompanied by an unforgiving famine. The banks of the Nile shrink one year while flooding the next. '''These putrid floodwaters run red with blood, carrying corpses from distant battles and diseased towns. Carcasses wash up along the shores of the Nile in Alexandria daily. This disease has plagued the Empire for 15 years, having been introduced by the Germanic invaders. Now, the plague spreads back through the Levant like a boomerang, headed toward Europe. The opportunistic Zenobia of Palmyra takes advantage of the chaos, consolidating her late husband's holdings while bringing the plague-stricken Egypt and Levant under her thumb.

By late 269, the plague has made its way back into Europe. It devastates Claudius' camp. '''The Emperor himself falls ill and dies in 270. The senate deifies him Claudius Gothicus.''' Though he inherited a tough situation and did what he could to mitigate its damage, the Roman Empire is in much the same position as it was when he assumed the throne. The fate of Rome now rests on his successor. Though the senate names his brother Quintillus Emperor, the military holds the real power in the Empire. Many back Lucius Domitius Aurelianus, a promising Illyrian general.

The events immediately following Claudius Gothicus' death are hazy. The passing of the torch from one emperor to the next is notoriously fraught with chaos, doubly so in the Third Century. What we do know is Aurelian began marching from Illyria to Italy, where Quintillus' forces were stationed. In our timeline, Aurelian seizes the throne shortly thereafter. Some sources measure Quintillus' reign in months, others believe he was Emperor for only a few weeks. It is assumed he was assassinated, died in battle, or committed suicide. Very little was recorded about his reign. Aurelian began his rule in OTL by September 270. However, THE POINT OF DIVERGENCE FROM OUR UNIVERSE TAKES PLACE SOMETIME IN 270. At some point shortly after being named Emperor by his troops, Aurelian passes away. Sources disagree on the exact cause. While some link his death to the same disease that claimed Claudius Gothicus, others believe Aurelian died in battle against the Vandals.

Quintillus now commands an even weaker Roman Empire than in OTL mere weeks after the point of divergence. Though he has support from the Illyrian and Italian militaries, as well as support from the senate, the Danube forces are at a disadvantage without the commanding presences of Aurelian and Claudius Gothicus. Aurelian was particularly able to take an otherwise disheartened and demoralized body of soldiers and whip them into shape. He was known across the Empire for being a stern disciplinarian and a brilliant tactician. Without Aurelian, the Danube forces continue to crumble.

In the west, the Gallic Empire is crumbling. It was formed nearly a decade prior, when Postumus declared his intentions to seize the throne. Now, both men are dead and their empires teeter on the brink of collapse. Taking advantage of Postumus' death, Claudius Gothicus sent general Julius Placidianus to march on southern Gallic cities and bring them back under the fold of the 'true' Roman Empire. Quintillus, recognizing the situation along both the Italian border to be of paramount importance, rides against the Alemanni sometime in the summer. His forces are victorious, but at a significant cost. He recalls Placidianus from Gaul to reinforce his position in northern Italy. In securing the Po Valley, Quintillus sacrifices Moesia and parts of Pannonia, as Aurelian had in OTL. Though Placidianus' presence encouraged Gallic cities along the border to defect, the Gallic Empire fares little better once he is recalled. Led by Victorinus, the Gallic Empire fights desperately against the Alemanni in the north while punishing cities in the south who had sworn allegiance to Claudius Gothicus and Quintillus. Victorinus' own men hesitate to follow his haphazard trail up and down the Rhine river. Like Quintillus, Victorinus faces the fact that he is not the best candidate for Emperor, nor does he have the skills necessary to end the current crisis. When his forces come to the same conclusion, Victorinus' days are numbered. His reign has lasted less than a year or two and already, his soldiers are re-evaluating their choice in Emperor.

In the east, Zenobia continues to consolidate her power. Her husband Odaenathus held the Roman eastern border against Sassanid invasion and quelled a number of insurrections. Consequentially, he held de facto control over a region stretching from Mesopotamia to eastern Anatolia. When he died, many of his former allies declared their allegiance to Claudius Gothicus. In order to re-assert Palmyrene dominance over the region, Zenobia begins a number of military campaigns. These campaigns come to a head in 270 when her armies ride to the south, seizing control of the Levant before sacking Bostra in spring. After taking Arabia Petraea, Zenobia marches into Egypt. Alexandria had borne the full brunt of the Crisis of the Third Century. During the reign of Gallienus, a horrible drought swept through the Empire. In a letter from early Christian writer Dionysius of Alexandria, he remarks, "the river which flows by the city has sometimes seemed drier than the waterless desert .... Again it has overflowed so greatly as to flood all the surrounding country, and the roads and the fields; threatening to bring back the deluge of water that occurred in the days of Noah." He describes these floodwaters as being putrid and tainted red with blood and dead bodies. These floodwaters carried plague - likely the very same plague that killed Claudius Gothicus. When Zenobia marched on Egypt, it stood little chance. The defenseless Egypt quickly capitulated to the Palmyrene Queen in October 270.

271 AD
Quintillus' position is ambushed in the early months of 271 by the Germanic forces flooding into Italy. His forces are crushed at Placentia, forcing the Romans to regroup and allowing the Germans to invade further south. Placidianus' forces aid him in routing the German forces at Firmium (OTL Fermo). After seeing how close barbarians made it to Rome itself, Quintillus bolsters the defenses of the city. In OTL, this was the birth of the Aurelian Walls. Inspired by the Servian Walls, these fortifications would theoretically wrap around the city. However, he is unable to get the project off the ground. '''When he leaves Rome, work slows and stops, leaving a gate and some unfinished sections of wall. "Quintillus' Walls" become something of a controversy the Emperor can never live down. The wall was finished nearly two decades later. The gate - Porta Quintillus - still bears his name today.'''

At some point early this year, Victorinus meets his end in Colonia at the hands of an angry, cuckolded officer whose wife Victorinus had seduced. Ironically, Victorinus' assassination is fairly unique as far as murder in the third century is concerned; it was a crime of passion and not driven by politics. Because of this, Victorinus' mother Victoria assumes the Gallic 'throne' for a brief time as the generals search for a new man to raise as Emperor. She is able to return the Gallic Empire to relative stability, though she is unable to prevent the uprising of Domitianus in Lake Geneva. In OTL, the defeat of Domitianus can be credited to Placidianus, though his involvement is debated. However, in this ATL, Placidianus is definitely not involved in fighting Domitianus. He secures the loyalty of many cities Placidianus had turned, especially after the disastrous Battle of Placentia.

The remaining parts of the Gallic Empire, however, see Domitianus' position as unsustainable; he stands in the direct path of Chroccus' invasion and has chosen to fight Quintillus, the Gallic Empire, and the Alemanni at the same time. As in OTL, Victoria chooses Gaius Pius Esuvius Tetricus, the governor of Gallia Aquitania, as the ruler of the Gallic Empire. He assumes his title in Burdigala later that spring. Most of Gaul and Britannia (barring those provinces held by Placidianus or Domitianus) recognize Tetricus as Emperor of Rome, though all the provinces of Hispania declare Quintillus as the rightful Emperor. He begins rallying men for a campaign to retake southern Gaul.

This year marked the beginning of a significant coinage reform. The Roman economy was in dire straits; the value of Roman coins had depreciated to critical levels by this point and the internal trade network of Rome had all but collapsed. Quintillus' reforms were aimed at raising the value of Roman currency. He increased the amount of silver in the Antoninianus to 1/20 of that in a Denarius. Moreover, he discovered a conspiracy in the mint at Rome; workers were found to have been taking silver for themselves. The chief of coin was apprehended, sparking a revolt in Rome. Upset with the conditions in Rome and recent events elsewhere in the Empire, citizens took to the streets and began to riot. This rioting turned into an outright revolt. Intending to show his martial prowess, Quintillus leads the army against this revolt. At some point during the fighting, Quintillus is stabbed through the lung.

The revolt is put down at the cost of 7,000 lives, though this number is likely inflated. Quintillus dies of his wound; Placidianus writes that one of Quintillus' own officers struck him down while others argue Quintillus was indeed cut down by a rioter. In the end, the chief of coin is executed, along with several other ringleaders and members of the senate accused of profiting from the mint workers' adulteration. A devastating fire sweeps through Rome, sparked by the revolt. It damages buildings on the Caelian Hill, including the Baths of Caracalla. The senate debates who should become Emperor as Rome burns around them. Placidianus' soldiers name him Emperor of Rome, as he dutifully served both Claudius Gothicus and Quintillus.

Hearing of the disastrous Battle of Placentia and the assassination of Victorinus, Zenobia takes advantage of the spiraling situation in Rome and invades Galatia in Asia Minor. Though she teeters ever closer to insubordination, she continues issuing coins listing Quintillus as emperor and her son Vaballathus as king.