Aurelian’s Revolutionary Governance of the Roman Empire: A New Frontier in Administration
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Abstract
The Crisis of the Third Century, from 235 to 284 CE, sprung from the combination of foreign invasions, Gallic and Palmyrene secessions, and internal administrative incompetence that nearly collapsed the Roman Empire. However, the empire recovered and survived for another 193 years and, as the Byzantine Empire, a further 978 years. This was in large part due to Emperor Lucius Domitius Aurelianus. By the end of Aurelian’s reign from 270 to 275 CE, he had stabilized the empire. Aurelian addressed the Crisis of the Third Century in three main ways: through his military prowess in handling Germanic attacks, successful campaigns against the Gallic and Palmyrene Empires, and administrative and economic reforms. While Aurelian’s reputation is primarily based on his military excellence, this is not what sets him apart from the many other highly capable Roman emperors. Instead, what truly differentiates Aurelian were the administrative revolutions he brought about as emperor. This included working with the senate, using government-sponsored welfare to decrease unrest, dealing with corruption in the tax system, and reforming Roman currency, which created a new frontier for administering the empire and provided a model of effective governance for millennia to come.
Derek Days