The Roman Empire in Crisis, 248-260

This book offers a detailed history of a tumultuous twelve-year period in Rome’s history, marked by civil wars, invasions, economic decline, and a devastating pandemic, leading up to the capture of Emperor Valerian. It explores the era's moral and spiritual crisis, highlighting the diminishing prestige of the traditional Roman religion and the rise of Christianity. Recent discoveries, including fragments of the lost Scythica of Dexippus, provide fresh insights into key events like the Battle of Abritus, contributing to a deeper understanding of the transition from Classical civilization to Late Antiquity.