Professor Kyle Harper

And they represent kind of an urban elite social stratum. From 268, most of the emperors come from a tiny little region, mostly in what's now Serbia, the bend in the Danube. These are not wealthy Mediterranean senators. These are career soldiers.

They're mostly career cavalry officers, people like Claudius Aurelian, and then ultimately Diocletian and Constantine, who very much come from this social stratum. The Roman Empire has taken over by Serbian cavalry officers who run the show for the whole rest of the way. And there's only real weird exceptions, like the Theodosian dynasty, which is sort of the exception that proves the rule.

They're mostly career cavalry officers, people like Claudius Aurelian, and then ultimately Diocletian and Constantine, who very much come from this social stratum. The Roman Empire has taken over by Serbian cavalry officers who run the show for the whole rest of the way. And there's only real weird exceptions, like the Theodosian dynasty, which is sort of the exception that proves the rule.

They're mostly career cavalry officers, people like Claudius Aurelian, and then ultimately Diocletian and Constantine, who very much come from this social stratum. The Roman Empire has taken over by Serbian cavalry officers who run the show for the whole rest of the way. And there's only real weird exceptions, like the Theodosian dynasty, which is sort of the exception that proves the rule.

But they change the geography of empire, the social dynamics of empire. Rome ceases to be central at all. People like Diocletian It's not totally obvious he goes there before the 20th year of his reign. It's still a culturally symbolic capital, but they say, just screw it. We're going to rule the empire from Trier and Sirmium and eventually Constantinople.

But they change the geography of empire, the social dynamics of empire. Rome ceases to be central at all. People like Diocletian It's not totally obvious he goes there before the 20th year of his reign. It's still a culturally symbolic capital, but they say, just screw it. We're going to rule the empire from Trier and Sirmium and eventually Constantinople.

But they change the geography of empire, the social dynamics of empire. Rome ceases to be central at all. People like Diocletian It's not totally obvious he goes there before the 20th year of his reign. It's still a culturally symbolic capital, but they say, just screw it. We're going to rule the empire from Trier and Sirmium and eventually Constantinople.

And they changed the money system from silver to gold. And eventually they say, we really need some new gods too. Maybe Sol. Nah, let's go. There's this even cooler god and we're going to try him out. So they change everything about the empire. It's a totally different empire. So what happens? Between 251 and 268, These are some of the most transformative years in Roman history.

And they changed the money system from silver to gold. And eventually they say, we really need some new gods too. Maybe Sol. Nah, let's go. There's this even cooler god and we're going to try him out. So they change everything about the empire. It's a totally different empire. So what happens? Between 251 and 268, These are some of the most transformative years in Roman history.

And they changed the money system from silver to gold. And eventually they say, we really need some new gods too. Maybe Sol. Nah, let's go. There's this even cooler god and we're going to try him out. So they change everything about the empire. It's a totally different empire. So what happens? Between 251 and 268, These are some of the most transformative years in Roman history.

The Roman Empire melts down. It's this comprehensive crisis. There's a financial dimension where the silver coinage, which had a large fiduciary element, the Roman emperors had gotten away with debasing it without the price scale getting totally out of whack. And eventually they go too far. And for whatever reason, the money system really collapses. So there's a financial, economic element to it.

The Roman Empire melts down. It's this comprehensive crisis. There's a financial dimension where the silver coinage, which had a large fiduciary element, the Roman emperors had gotten away with debasing it without the price scale getting totally out of whack. And eventually they go too far. And for whatever reason, the money system really collapses. So there's a financial, economic element to it.

The Roman Empire melts down. It's this comprehensive crisis. There's a financial dimension where the silver coinage, which had a large fiduciary element, the Roman emperors had gotten away with debasing it without the price scale getting totally out of whack. And eventually they go too far. And for whatever reason, the money system really collapses. So there's a financial, economic element to it.

There's a geopolitical element. You not only have Goths crossing inside the Roman Empire, and they're clearly organized, they're clearly dangerous, they're capable of, they confront Decius. a Roman emperor leading the legions into battle and kill him. And that's something new and different.

There's a geopolitical element. You not only have Goths crossing inside the Roman Empire, and they're clearly organized, they're clearly dangerous, they're capable of, they confront Decius. a Roman emperor leading the legions into battle and kill him. And that's something new and different.

There's a geopolitical element. You not only have Goths crossing inside the Roman Empire, and they're clearly organized, they're clearly dangerous, they're capable of, they confront Decius. a Roman emperor leading the legions into battle and kill him. And that's something new and different.

And at the same time, to make matters worse, you have a revanchist Persian regime that's pretty aggressive, that takes power on your eastern frontier. So you now have a totally new level of geopolitical threat. So you have financial breakdown, you have geopolitical change, you have a complete collapse of dynastic legitimacy. This is why we have over 20 emperors in a 20-year period.

And at the same time, to make matters worse, you have a revanchist Persian regime that's pretty aggressive, that takes power on your eastern frontier. So you now have a totally new level of geopolitical threat. So you have financial breakdown, you have geopolitical change, you have a complete collapse of dynastic legitimacy. This is why we have over 20 emperors in a 20-year period.

And at the same time, to make matters worse, you have a revanchist Persian regime that's pretty aggressive, that takes power on your eastern frontier. So you now have a totally new level of geopolitical threat. So you have financial breakdown, you have geopolitical change, you have a complete collapse of dynastic legitimacy. This is why we have over 20 emperors in a 20-year period.

And all of the trouble that that entails, including ultimately fragmentation of the empire into three empires, the empire of the Gauls, the empire out of the East, and the sort of core empire in the Mediterranean and Italy. The Roman Empire should have totally come apart. And in that mix, there's a pandemic. And it's a pandemic that's been far too neglected.