In the 3rd Century, The Roman Empire descended into chaos.
After Emperor Alexander Severus was murdered, Rome began cannibalizing itself. Revolving door Barracks Emperors fought each other for power with no end in sight, the economy went into depression. The German Tribes who sensed weakness invaded en masse along the Rhine - Danube frontier. There had been almost 60 years of peace after they were slaughtered by Marcus Aurelius (that part of Gladiator is factual). The Emperor Decius set out to defend the Empire, his Legions were routed, he became the first Emperor to die in battle. Eventually a General in the West broke away from Rome and established the Gallic Empire (Gaul, Britannia). He was promptly attacked by the Franks, Alemmani and Saxons but Emperor Postumus was able to defend against them.
Then everything went to shit. While Decius was getting his ass handed to him by the Macromanni and the Goths, a plague swept through the Empire. Known as the Cyprian Plague (looking suspiciously like Ebola) it swept through the Empire. The end result, the Romans became the minority in their home peninsula to the Ancient Italians. They were mostly Christian who tended to the sick better than the Pagan Romans. In the East the new Sassanid Persian Empire began conquering Roman territory along the east coast of the Mediterranean. Emperor Valerian went to meet the threat. His Legions were ambushed and he was taken prisoner. The first Emperor to become a slave to a hostile power. He was eventually flayed alive and his skin hung from the entrance to Sassanid King Shapur's palace.
THE WORLD WAS DOOMED.
After Emperor Alexander Severus was murdered, Rome began cannibalizing itself. Revolving door Barracks Emperors fought each other for power with no end in sight, the economy went into depression. The German Tribes who sensed weakness invaded en masse along the Rhine - Danube frontier. There had been almost 60 years of peace after they were slaughtered by Marcus Aurelius (that part of Gladiator is factual). The Emperor Decius set out to defend the Empire, his Legions were routed, he became the first Emperor to die in battle. Eventually a General in the West broke away from Rome and established the Gallic Empire (Gaul, Britannia). He was promptly attacked by the Franks, Alemmani and Saxons but Emperor Postumus was able to defend against them.
Then everything went to shit. While Decius was getting his ass handed to him by the Macromanni and the Goths, a plague swept through the Empire. Known as the Cyprian Plague (looking suspiciously like Ebola) it swept through the Empire. The end result, the Romans became the minority in their home peninsula to the Ancient Italians. They were mostly Christian who tended to the sick better than the Pagan Romans. In the East the new Sassanid Persian Empire began conquering Roman territory along the east coast of the Mediterranean. Emperor Valerian went to meet the threat. His Legions were ambushed and he was taken prisoner. The first Emperor to become a slave to a hostile power. He was eventually flayed alive and his skin hung from the entrance to Sassanid King Shapur's palace.
THE WORLD WAS DOOMED.
