The military factor in the onset of crises in the roman empire in the third century AD

Abstract

This chapter discusses the impact of Roman armed forces on the rise of crises in the Roman Empire in the third century AD. The traditional view is that the third century is an age of omnipresent warfare, which resulted in the rise of military power in the Roman Empire and in military demands that were an important cause of third century troubles, which affected the whole Empire. However, because many crises may have had a regional character, it might be wise to regionalize the 'third century crisis', more so than has been done so far. In a discussion about the contribution of the military factor to the onset of crises in the Roman Empire in the third century AD attention should be paid, first of all, to military misconduct and rapacity, not only in zones of actual warfare, but also along frequently used military transit routes. Keywords: military power; Roman armed forces; Roman Empire; third century AD