Timeline of Ancient Rome - 3rd Century

3rd Century

• 208/211– Severus campaigns against the Caledonians
• 211– Severus dies. His sons Caracalla and Geta become joint emperors. Caracalla has Geta murdered shortly thereafter.
• 217– Caracalla assassinated; Macrinus becomes emperor
• 218– Macrinus deposed and executed, Elagabalus is installed on the throne
• 222– Elagabalus is murdered. Alexander Severus becomes emperor
• 231-33– War against Persia
• 235– Alexander killed in a soldier mutiny. Maximinus Thrax becomes emperor.
• 238– Year of the Six Emperors. The Senate supports a revolt of Gordian I and Gordian II in Africa. These two are defeated by an ally of Thrax, and the Senate appoints Balbinus and Pupienus as co-emperors. They are soon assassinated, and Thrax is killed in a mutiny. The young Gordian III becomes emperor.
• 241– Victory over the Persians at Resaina.
• 244– Romans defeated at Misiche. Philip the Arab becomes emperor.
• 249– Decius usurps the throne with support from the Danubian legions. He names his son Herennius co-emperor.
• 251– Decius and Herennius defeated and slain by Cniva, king of the Goths. Another son of Decius, Hostilian, is briefly emperor, but dies in a plague outbreak. Gallus and his son Volusianus become emperors.
• 252– King Shapur I of Persia defeats the Romans at Barbalissos.
• 253– Aemilianus becomes emperor after leading a revolt and Gallus and Volusianus are slain by their own troops. Valerian and his son Gallienus become emperors after Aemilianus is killed by his own soldiers. Shapur captures Antioch.
• 257– Valerian retakes Antioch. The Franks invade Gaul and Hispania. The Alemanni invades Italy but are defeated at Milan.
• 258– Goths invade Asia Minor
• 260– Valerian is taken captive by the Persians. Retreating Persian army attacked by Odaenathus of Palmyra. Postumus proclaimed emperor in Gaul. He is also supported in Hispania and Britain.
• 267– Odaenathus assassinated. His widow Zenobia takes control of Palmyra
• 268– Gallienus defeats Gothic invasion, but is later assassinated. Claudius II becomes emperor.
• 269– Postumus is killed. Victorinus proclaimed emperor in Gaul and Britain. The Palmyrenes takes Egypt and Syria. Claudius defeats the Goths at Naissus in Moesia.
• 270– Claudius dies of plague. After a brief rule by Claudius' brother Quintillus, Aurelian becomes emperor.
• 271– Aurelian campaigns against the Vandals, Juthungi and the Sarmatians. Victorinus is murdered and his soldiers proclaim Tetricus I emperor
• 272– Aurelian defeats Zenobia at Antioch and Emesa and takes Palmyra. Zenobia is captured. The province of Dacia is abandoned.
• 273– Palmyra revolts. The city is destroyed by Aurelian.
• 274– Aurelian defeats the army of Tericus at the Catalaunian fields.
• 275– Aurelian is murdered. Tacitus becomes emperor.
• 276– Tacitus dies. After the brief reign and assassination of Florianus, Probus becomes emperor.
• 277– The Burgundians, Longiones, Alemanni and Franks defeated.
• 279– Probus campaigns against the Vandals in Illyricum.
• 282– Carus proclaimed emperor. Probus killed by his own troops.
• 283– Carus dies during an invasion of Persia. His sons Carinus and Numerian become emperors.
• 284– Numerian dies. Diocletian proclaimed emperor and marches against Carinus.
• 285– Carinus dies in battle against Diocletian. Diocletian splits the empire into two halves and appoints Maximian emperor of the Western portion while Diocletian rules the East.
• 286– Carausius revolts in Britain.
• 293– Diocletian appoints Constantius I and Galerius as caesars. Carausius murdered by Allectus who proclaims himself emperor.
• 296– Allectus defeated and slain.
• 299– Galerius defeats the Sarmatians and the Carpi