Southern P. The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine

London - New York: Routledge, 2004. – 413 p.
ISBN 0-203-45159-7 Master e-book ISBN
ISBN 0-203-45721-8 (Adobe eReader Format)
ISBN 0-415-23943-5 (hbk)
ISBN 0-415-23944-3 (pbk)Illustrations
Introduction and acknowledgements
Abbreviations
The third century: the nature of the problem
Sources of evidence
Through a glass darkly: limitations of the evidence
Emperors and usurpers: 180–260
Empire without end
The development of frontiers
Prelude to the third century
The reign of Commodus
The rise of Severus
Severus Imperator
Elimination of rivals
The Severan dynasty
The successors of Severus
The end of the Severans: Maximinus Thrax becomes Emperor
The three Gordians
Philip the Arab
Decius
Trebonianus Gallus
Valerian and Gallienus
Schism and reunification: 260–84
Gallienus sole Emperor
The battle for the Empire: Gallienus to Aurelian
The Empire restored: Aurelian
The successors of Aurelian: Probus to Diocletian
A world geared for war: 284–324
Diocletian: the Empire strikes back
Constantine: the Empire reshaped
Beyond the northern frontiers
Introduction: the image of the ‘barbarians’
Romans and natives
The third century and after
Beyond the eastern frontiers
The rise of the Sassanids: Ardashir defeats the Parthians
The Roman eastern frontier
The reign of Ardashir (224–41)
The reign of Shapur I (241–72)
The successors of Shapur: Hormizd I (272–3), Vahram I (273–6) and Vahram II (276–93)
Vahram III (293) and Narses (293–302)
Hormizd II (302–9) and Shapur II (309–79)
The Empire transformed
Emperors
Usurpation or regional self-help?
The Senate and senatorial careers
The equestrian career
The Praetorian Prefects
The provinces
Cities and towns
The theory of depopulation, deserted lands and the decline of agricultural production
Economy and finance
The army and the frontiers
Religion
Notes