The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine

Compared to previous centuries, there are few contemporary histories covering this period. Zosimus and the Historia Augusta are the most comprehensive, but both are unreliable. This is a shame as the period covers the Empire's decent into chaos and emergence under Diocletian and Constantine into a new order that continued through the Byzantine era.

Patricia Southern does an excellent job with meager resources in crafting a narrative of the period. As much as possible, she weighs the existing information without hiding her assumptions or forcing a story where there is none. It's a remarkable achievement, giving coherence to one of the most intriguing periods of antiquity.

This work covers one of the more obscure periods of Roman history. After briefly setting the stage, the work discusses the chaotic second and early third century. The Second Century Crisis demonstrates the diverse set of challenges the Empire was facing while at the same time offering signs of its adaptability and resilience. Southern does not ignore the political chaos and the weakness of the Empire during this period of high turnover, but is also careful to note that many of the actions and the reforms attributed to Aurelian or Diocletian had precedents in earlier actions of less admired rulers. Rehabilitating the reputation of Gallienus or Probus shows that much of their lack of recognition arises from the inconclusiveness of their show more reign, generally from an early death. While the second century marked a period of acute crisis, as the effect of plague and economic instability combined with constant pressures along the Northern and Eastern borders, the resiliency of Roman institutions if witnessed by their pattern being imitated in the breakaway and many of the barbarian tribes. One unique feature of the work is the inclusion of a brief examination of the history of the Eastern and Northern foes of the Empire. show less