Abstract
The author attempts to reconstruct Aurelian’s military career before his proclamation as emperor. This is the most difficult period in Aurelian’s biography to reconstruct. In the unstable conditions of the 3rd century AD, promotion up the military ladder provided unique opportunities for ambitious and talented people from the lower classes. Aurelian’s career is a striking example of how a provincial went from an ordinary soldier to the emperor. Flavius Vopiscus mentions various posts held by Aurelian, but modern scholars have questioned the veracity of this information.
Keywords
Aurelian, Roman Empire, Principate, Crisis of the 3rd century, Roman army, legion.
Aleksey A. Vorontsov
Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
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