 thumb|400px|the divided empire in ad 271. the crisis of the third century, also known as military anarchy or the imperial crisis, (ad 235â284) was a period in which the roman empire nearly collapsed under the combined pressures of invasion, civil war, plague, and economic depression. the crisis began with the assassination of emperor alexander severus at the hands of his own troops, initiating a fifty-year period in which there were at least 26 claimants to the title of emperor, mostly prominent roman army generals, assuming imperial power over all or part of the empire. 26 men were officially accepted by the roman senate as emperor during this period, and thus became legitimate emperors. by 258â260, the empire had split into three competing states: the gallic empire, including the roman provinces of gaul, britannia and (briefly) hispania; the palmyrene empire, including the eastern provinces of syria palaestina and aegyptus; and the italian-centered and independent roman empire, proper, between them. later, aurelian (270â275) reunited the empire; the crisis ended with the ascension and reforms of diocletian in 284. the crisis resulted in such profound changes in the empire's institutions, society, economic life and, eventually, religion, that it is increasingly seen by most historians as defining the transition between the historical periods of classical antiquity and late antiquity.brown, p., the world of late antiquity, london 1971, p. 22. ==history==  the situation of the roman empire became dire in ad 235, when the alexander severus was murdered by his own troops. many roman legions had been defeated during a campaign against germanic peoples raiding across the borders, while the emperor was focused primarily on the dangers from the sassanid persian empire. leading his troops personally, alexander severus resorted to diplomacy and paying tribute in an attempt to pacify the germanic chieftains quickly. according to herodian this cost him the respect of his troops, who may have felt they should be punishing the tribes who were intruding on rome's territory." herodian says "in their opinion alexander showed no honourable intention to pursue the war and preferred a life of ease, when he should have marched out to punish the germans for their previous insolence" (herodian vi.7.10). in the years following the emperor's death, generals of the roman army fought each other for control of the empire and neglected their duties in preventing invasions from foreigners. provincials became victims of frequent raids by foreign tribes, such a
Crisis_of_the_Third_Century