The empire was falling apart. He put it back together in five years.
This Aurelian magnet features a cinematic portrait of the emperor who single-handedly rescued Rome from the brink of collapse, part of the Rome's Greatest Emperors collection. A distinctive piece for the home, office, or classroom - and an affordable gift for history enthusiasts, classics lovers, and students of leadership. Three sizes, matte finish, built to last.
ABOUT AURELIAN (214 – 275 AD)
By 270 AD, the Roman Empire had effectively ceased to exist as a single entity. Decades of military anarchy had fractured it into three competing states. The economy was in ruins, the frontiers were collapsing under barbarian pressure, and the imperial office had become so unstable that Rome had burned through more than twenty emperors in fifty years. Into this chaos stepped Aurelian - a soldier of obscure origins and extraordinary ability who would spend the next five years doing something most Romans had stopped believing was possible.
He reunified the empire by force. In a series of campaigns of breathtaking speed and precision, he defeated the breakaway Palmyrene Empire in the east - led by the formidable Queen Zenobia - and then turned west and crushed the Gallic Empire before it could regroup. By 274 AD, the Roman world was one again. He did it without losing a major engagement.
He then turned to consolidation. He built new walls around Rome - the Aurelian Walls, much of which still stand today - reformed the currency, and stabilized the food supply. He took the title Restitutor Orbis: Restorer of the World. It was not an exaggeration.
He was assassinated in 275 AD by officers who feared, wrongly, that he was about to have them executed. Rome lost its most capable soldier at the moment it needed him most. What he accomplished in five years remains one of the most remarkable feats of individual leadership in ancient history.
PRODUCT FEATURES
- Available in three sizes: 3×3, 4×4, and 6×6 inches
- Matte finish for a sophisticated, glare-free surface
- Laminated surface for durability and color vibrancy
- White vinyl with strong magnetic backing
- Indoor use recommended