Crisis of the Third Century facts for kids

The Crisis of the Third Century was a tough time for the Roman Empire between 235 and 284 AD. During these years, the Empire almost fell apart! There were many problems like invasions from outside, civil wars inside, a terrible plague, and the economy (how people earned and spent money) completely broke down. People sometimes call this period the "Military Anarchy" or "Imperial Crisis" because the army had so much power.

The crisis began in 235 AD when Emperor Alexander Severus was killed by his own soldiers. This started a period of about 50 years where many different people fought to become emperor. Around 20 to 25 different leaders tried to take the throne! Most of these leaders were important Roman Army generals. They used their armies to take control of parts or even all of the Empire.

What Caused the Crisis?

Too Many Emperors

One big problem was that emperors didn't last long. Many were killed by their own soldiers or by rivals. This meant there was no stable leader for a long time. When an emperor was killed, different generals would fight each other to take his place. This led to many civil wars across the Empire.

Constant Invasions

While the Romans were fighting among themselves, many groups from outside the Empire started attacking. These groups, often called "barbarians" by the Romans, included the Goths, Alamanni, and Sassanid Persians. They attacked Roman lands, stealing goods and causing a lot of damage. The Roman army was busy fighting these invaders and also fighting each other.

Economic Troubles

The constant wars and invasions cost a lot of money. The Roman government tried to pay for everything by making coins with less silver or gold in them. This made money worth less, and prices went up a lot. This is called inflation. People found it hard to buy things, and trade became very difficult. Farmers also struggled because their lands were often attacked.

The Empire Splits Apart

By the years 258–260 AD, the Roman Empire became so weak that it actually split into three separate parts!

• The Gallic Empire was in the west. It included the Roman lands of Gaul (modern-day France), Britannia (modern-day Britain), and Hispania (modern-day Spain and Portugal).
• The Palmyrene Empire was in the east. It included the provinces of Syria Palaestina and Aegyptus.
• The original Roman Empire proper was in the middle, around Italy.

These new empires acted like they were completely independent from Rome. It looked like the Roman Empire might disappear forever!

How the Crisis Ended

The Crisis of the Third Century finally ended when Diocletian became emperor in 284 AD. Diocletian was a very strong leader. He made many big changes to the Roman Empire to make it stable again. He divided the Empire into smaller parts to make it easier to govern and strengthened the army. His rule marked the end of this very difficult period.

Impact of the Crisis

The Crisis of the Third Century changed the Roman Empire a lot.

• The way the Empire was governed changed.
• Society became different, with more power going to the military.
• The economy was completely reshaped.
• Even religion started to change over time.

This period was a big transition from the old ways of classical antiquity to a new era called late antiquity.

Images for kids

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  Gothic raids in the 3rd century

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  Barbarian invasions against the Roman Empire in the 3rd century

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  Emperor Diocletian. With his rise to power in 284, the Crisis of the Third Century ended and gave rise to the Tetrarchy

See also

In Spanish: Crisis del siglo III para niños