Lucius Aurelianus Tells About the Mess that Rome Had Become and How He Became Emperor By Military...

4 months ago
79

Presented to you by: http://www.HistoricalConquest.com
Read more on our blog at: https://www.historicalconquest.com/blog

My name is Lucius Domitius Aurelianus, but history remembers me as Emperor Aurelian—and I’m the guy who saved the Roman Empire when it was falling apart at the seams. You’ve probably heard about emperors like Augustus or Constantine, but during my time, Rome wasn’t shining like it once did. It was broken, invaded, and crumbling from the inside out. When I took charge, I knew it was either fight like never before—or watch everything collapse. Let me tell you how it all happened.

I was born around 214 AD, probably in the province of Illyricum. I came from humble beginnings—my family was not rich, not famous—but I had one thing going for me: I could fight. I joined the Roman army when I was young, and thanks to years of discipline and success in battle, I rose through the ranks quickly. By the time I was in my fifties, I was a top general, and in 270 AD, during one of the worst crises in Roman history, I was declared emperor by my troops.

Now, let me paint the picture. The empire was a mess. In the west, we’d lost territory to something called the Gallic Empire—basically a group of Roman provinces that broke away. In the east, Queen Zenobia of Palmyra had taken Egypt and a bunch of other lands. And on top of that, barbarian tribes were invading constantly. Oh, and the economy? Total disaster. It was like the Roman world had cracked into pieces.

But I wasn’t about to let it die. I marched east and defeated Zenobia, bringing Palmyra back under Roman control. She was smart, brave, and ambitious—but I was relentless. Then I turned west and crushed the Gallic Empire, reuniting the entire Roman Empire under one ruler—me. That’s why people started calling me “Restitutor Orbis”—the Restorer of the World.

But I didn’t just fight battles. I knew Rome needed to feel safe, so I started building massive defensive walls around the city, which became known as the Aurelian Walls. I also tried to fix the broken economy by reforming the currency. And I pushed for religious unity, promoting the worship of Sol Invictus, the "Unconquered Sun," as a kind of official god to help bring people together.

Sadly, I didn’t get to finish everything I started. In 275 AD, while preparing a campaign against Persia, I was assassinated by my own officers—tricked into thinking I was plotting against them. Just like that, I was gone. But in my short time as emperor, I put Rome back on its feet when it was about to fall flat on its face.

If there’s one lesson I want you to take from my story, it’s this: when everything seems to be falling apart, strong leadership, determination, and action can turn things around. Don’t be afraid to step up when others fall back. Thank you for listening.

Visit us at: https://www.historicalconquest.com/marketplace

#historicalconquest #history #historical #SecondIndependence #rome #roman #romanhistory #hadrian #hadrianswall #caesar #emperor #architecture #italianhistory #britânia #european #europeanhistory #mediterranean #mediterraneanhistory #italy

Loading comments...