Barbarian invasions of the 3rd century in the context of "Marcomannic Wars"

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⭐ Core Definition: Barbarian invasions of the 3rd century

The barbarian invasions of the third century (212–305) constituted an uninterrupted period of raids within the borders of the Roman Empire, conducted for purposes of plunder and booty by armed peoples belonging to populations gravitating along the northern frontiers: Picts, Caledonians, and Saxons in Britain; the Germanic tribes of Frisii, Saxons, Franks, Alemanni, Burgundians, Marcomanni, Quadi, Lugii, Vandals, Juthungi, Gepids and Goths (Tervingi in the west and Greuthungi in the east), the Dacian tribes of the Carpi and the Sarmatian tribes of Iazyges, Roxolani and Alans, as well as Bastarnae, Scythians, Borani and Heruli along the Rhine-Danube rivers and the Black Sea.

Since the time of Marcus Aurelius during the Marcomannic Wars (166/167-189), Germanic-Sarmatian tribes had not exerted such strong pressure along the northern borders of the Roman Empire.

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Barbarian invasions of the 3rd century in the context of Crisis of the Third Century

The Crisis of the Third Century, also known as the Military Anarchy or the Imperial Crisis, was a period in Roman history during which the Roman Empire nearly collapsed under the combined pressure of repeated foreign invasions, civil wars and economic disintegration. At the height of the crisis, the Roman state split into three distinct and competing polities. The period is usually dated between the death of Severus Alexander (235) and accession of Diocletian (284).

The crisis began in 235 with the assassination of Emperor Severus Alexander by his own troops. During the following years, the empire saw barbarian invasions and migrations into Roman territory, civil wars, peasant rebellions and political instability, with multiple usurpers competing for power. This led to the debasement of currency and a breakdown in both trade networks and economic productivity, with the Plague of Cyprian contributing to the disorder. Roman armies became more reliant over time on the growing influence of the barbarian mercenaries known as foederati. Roman commanders in the field, although nominally loyal to the state, became increasingly independent of Rome's central authority.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Crisis of the Third Century ← Crisis of the 3rd century
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Roman Empire → Limes (Roman Empire) → Picts → Caledonians → Saxons → Roman Britain → Germanic peoples → Frisii → Franks → Alemanni → Burgundians → Marcomanni → Quadi → Lugii → Vandals → Juthungi → Gepids → Goths → Thervingi → Greuthungi → Dacians → Carpi people → Sarmatians → Iazyges → Roxolani → Alans → Bastarnae → Scythians → Heruli → Rhine → Danube → Black Sea → Marcus Aurelius → Marcomannic Wars →