Michael F. Bird Imperium

Imperium is a fast-paced and action-packed history of the Roman empire in the tumultuous third century. Too many readers fixate on the golden age of Rome and its apogee under Marcus Aurelius in the second century and then rush to the seismic revolution introduced by Constantine in the fourth century. But in between, from the political chaos following the assassination of Commodus to the ascendancy of Constantine, is no mere excursus, but one of the most bloody, brutal, and vital periods in Roman history. Telling such a story with all its complexity, this book weaves together imperial intrigue, military upheaval, the fratricide and fracturing of the empire, plagues and popes, and the remarkable growth of Christianity during times of intense persecution. The book takes readers on a journey from the marshes of Germany, to the banks of the Euphrates, from the frozen wastelands of Scotland, to the fertile Nile valley of Egypt. It brings to life the emperors, soldiers, martyrs, bishops, and barbarians who shaped a world on the brink of collapse, showing how the fortunes of Rome and the church became increasingly intertwined. This is a book about the making of the Christian church and the remaking of the Roman empire.