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The Roman Revolution

by Nick Holmes Book 1 in the The Fall of the Roman Empire series.

First published 2022

Amazon
4.4(1,279)

The Roman Revolution examines the Crisis of the Third Century, when invasion, epidemic disease, civil war and rapid imperial turnover brought Roman government close to disintegration. Nick Holmes follows the pressure exerted by Sasanian Persia and northern peoples, the capture of Valerian, the formation of the Gallic and Palmyrene breakaway empires, and the efforts of Gallienus and Aurelian to preserve and reunify Roman territory.

The second half follows Diocletian and Constantine as they reorganised taxation, administration and military command and transformed the basis of imperial rule. The rapid growth of Christianity is central to the argument, from persecution under the Tetrarchy to Constantine’s patronage and the foundation of Constantinople. The empire that emerged was more centralised, militarised and Christian than the classical principate it replaced.

Historical Periods

Crisis of the Third Century235–284 CE Tetrarchy293–313 CE Christianisation of the Roman Empire312–380 CE Roman–Sasanian Wars224–628 CE

Genres

Court & Political Fiction

Historical people

Shapur Ic. 3rd century–272 Valerian200–c. 260s Gallienus218–268 Diocletianc. 240s–316 Constantine the Great272–337 Aurelian

Series reading order

Books in the The Fall of the Roman Empire series

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