Aurelian (214-275 AD)

Lucius Domitius Aurelianus inherited the most dangerous job in the ancient world. Rome in 270 AD was fracturing - the empire had split into three rival states, barbarians were crossing every frontier, the currency had collapsed, and plague had been killing hundreds of thousands for years. Aurelian didn't inherit a throne. He inherited a catastrophe.

What he did in five years defies comprehension. He reunified the entire Roman Empire by military force alone - defeating the breakaway Palmyrene Empire in the east and the Gallic Empire in the west in a series of campaigns that covered thousands of miles. He rebuilt Rome's currency, reformed the grain supply, and began construction of the walls that still bear his name - eleven miles of brick encircling Rome, the longest ancient city walls in the world, still standing today.

The Senate gave him a title that said everything. Restitutor Orbis. Restorer of the World.