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Hello everyone. This is Jasper Ortiz with Ancient Warfare Magazine and our sixth podcast discussing Roman crisis, the third century AD. And with me, today are Murray Dom. Morning, Murray.

Morning.

Glenn Barnett in California. Hi, Glenn. Good morning. Well, good afternoon, actually. Whatever your time is,

we are very international this time, as usual. And Christian Kutfa in Germany. Hi, Chris.

Hello, good evening. I'd like to start off this hugely important and very wide subject by discussing the changing role of the emperor.

We see in the third century that one of the main controlling overarching events is the continuing exchange of emperors in a violent way.

We might say that at least one of the causes of the crisis of the third century is

sort of a, what do you say, failing of the emperors or a problem with their legitimacy.

Whatever it is, there are more and more breakaway emperors or legions that proclaim that their legate has become emperor.

And the whole century that follows is just emperors,

the one after the other emperor,

trying to make sure that he is accepted throughout the empire

and trying to find ways to ensure that he can stay on the throne

and nobody else.

And then by the time of Diocletian, you end up with a

whole different, almost a whole different system. Yeah, you're almost a century away from the fall of

the Antonine dynasty. And the assassination of comatus really sets that fragmentation in motion

while you're looking for a strong man who can establish another dynasty.

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