This was a time of civil war, anarchy, intrigue, and
assassination.Between 193 and 284 the Roman Empire knew more than
twenty-five emperors, and an equal number of usurpers. All of them had
some measure of success, several of them often ruling different parts of
the Empire at the same time. Rome's traditional political institutions
slid into vacuity and armies became the Empire's most powerful
institutions, proclaiming their own imperial champions and deposing
those they held to be incompetent. Yet despite widespread contemporary
dismay at such weak government this period was also one in which the
boundaries of the Empire remained fairly stable; the rights and
privileges of Roman citizenship were extended equally to all free
citizens of the Empire; in several regions the economy remained robust
in the face of rampant inflation; and literary culture, philosophy, and
legal theory flourished. Historians have been discussing how and why
this could have been for centuries. Olivier Hekster takes you to the
heart of these debates and illustrates the arguments with key
contemporary documents. His compelling account will engage students at
all levels of study.Key Features - issues of historical significance are
identified and thematically discussed - important modern debates are
placed together and explored- key passages of text along with key images
are gathered and accessible in one volume- includes essay questions,
chronology, further reading, bibliography, and useful website resources
