Imperium: The Fall and Rise of the Roman Empire in the Third Century

Imperium is a fast-paced and action-packed history of the Roman empire in the tumultuous third century.Too many readers fixate on the golden age of Rome and its apogee under Marcus Aurelius in the second century and then rush to the seismic revolution introduced by Constantine in the fourth century.But in between, from the political chaos following the assassination Commodus to the ascendency of Constantine, is no mere excursus, but one of the most the most bloody, brutal, and vital periods in Roman history. Telling such a story with all its complexity, this book weaves together imperial intrigue, military upheaval, the fratricide and fracturing of the empire, plagues and popes, and the remarkable growth of Christianity during times of intense persecution.The book takes readers on a journey from the marshes of Germany, to the banks of the Euphrates, from the frozen wastelands of Scotland, to the fertile Nile valley of Egypt.It brings to life the emperors, soldiers, martyrs, bishops, an