The Battle of Chalons was fought in 274 CE, during the later years of the Crisis of the Third Century. The battle ended in victory for the forces of the Roman Empire, led by Aurelian, and defeat for the forces of the Gallic Empire, led by Tetricus. The battle resulted in the end of the Gallic Empire and its absorption back into the Roman Empire.

Valerian and Gallienus were two of the most notable emperors during the Crisis of the Third Century. Valerian, and his son Gallienus, were declared co-emperors in 253 CE and worked tirelessly to reunite and rebuild the Roman Empire. Their work, however, was ultimately unsuccessful; Valerian was captured by Sassanid forces in the Middle East and Gallienus was assassinated by a rival claimant to the throne

The Battle of Edessa, fought in 260 CE, was the first battle in which a Roman Emperor was captured by the forces of the enemy. The emperor in question was Emperor Valerian, who ruled during the turbulent period known as the Crisis of the Third Century. After Valerian’s capture, his son Gallienus ruled as the sole Emperor.

The Battle of Margus was fought in 284 CE, between the forces of Diocletian and the forces of the Emperor Carinus. The battle ended in victory for Diocletian and allowed him to take control of the entire Roman Empire. The Battle of Margus is one of the last battles of the Crisis of the Third Century, as shortly thereafter Diocletian was able to enact a series of reforms which temporarily strengthened the Roman Empire.

The Crisis of the Third Century lasted from 235 CE until the reforms of Diocletian, almost fifty years later. During the crisis, Roman territory was split into three competing empires: The Gallic Empire in modern-day France, Iberia, and Britain; the Palmyrene Empire in modern-day Syria, Egypt, and Asia Minor; and the remainder of the Roman Empire, which included Italy, Greece, and North Africa. Aurelian, who ruled from 270 to 275 CE, conquered the Gallic and Palmyrene empires and reunited the Roman Empire.  

The Crisis of the Third Century began in 235 CE and lasted for fifty years. It began with the assassination of Severus Alexander (the last ruler of the Severan Dynasty). Severus was assassinated by his own troops for engaging in diplomacy with invading barbarian peoples (the troops felt this was a sign of weakness). The Crisis of the Third Century was a chaotic and destructive time in Roman history, as many different factions competed for ultimate control of the empire.

The Crisis of the Third Century was primarily caused by the growing threats to the Roman Empire from outside the empire’s borders. Climate change in northern Europe led to a mass migration of barbarian people into Roman lands — these people were not conquerors, but were merely looking for a place to settle and farm. Nonetheless, it exacerbated economic tensions in Roman society. Additionally, Rome was dealing with more and more attacks along the eastern frontiers, as warring tribes from eastern Europe continuously attacked and pillaged Roman border communities. Furthermore, the growing power and influence of the Sassanid Empire (in the Middle East) made it more expensive for Rome to hold on to its Asiatic holdings. Finally, the lack of a clear line of succession in Roman society had long been a major problem. Because there was no clear and absolute way to choose a new Emperor, it was common for competing claims to be made to the throne whenever an Emperor died. This led to civil wars throughout the history of the Roman Empire, but none were as prolonged or as devastating as the Crisis of the Third Century.

The Battle of Edessa was fought in the third century between the armies of the Roman Empire, led by Emperor Valerian, and the armies of the Sassanid Empire. It ended in absolute victory for the Sassanid forces and the capture of the Roman Emperor.

The Battle of Margus was fought in 284 CE between the forces of the usurper Diocletian and the forces of the Emperor Carinus. It ended in victory for Diocletian, who subsequently took full control of the Roman Empire. Diocletian then enacted a series of reforms that brought to an end the Crisis of the Third Century.

In the third century CE, the Roman Empire underwent a period of fifty years in which power was heavily decentralized. During this period, there were countless claimants to the position of emperor and no political uniformity in the Roman Empire. For a brief period, the Roman Empire was divided into three territories, each ruled by a different emperor. Eventually, the Roman Empire was stabilized under the rule of Aurelian. The Crisis of the Third Century came to an end shortly thereafter with a series of reforms made by the Emperor Diocletian.