Changes

== Career advancement ==

== Career advancement ==

As a Tribune, he was first known for his harsh discipline to his legionaries. Then he was made an envoy to the Sassanid Persians where he is said to have received gifts from the Persian King. Emperor Valerian promoted Aurelian to 'Inspector of the Military Camps'. A man doubted by modern historians to have existed, Ulpius Crinitus was said to have been the Dux (leader) of the Illyrian and Thracian Border under [[Valerian]]. Aurelian was made his deputy. Crinitus supposedly adopted him after Aurelian was proved to have been a good deputy by crushing raids by the Goths and enriching the provinces with the spoils of war. He announced his adoption of Aurelian and the Emperor gave his blessing. Ulpius Crinitus was of the Ulpia gens, the family of which the emperor [[Trajan]] came from.  

As a Tribune, he was first known for his harsh discipline to his legionaries. Then he was made an envoy to the Sassanid Persians where he is said to have received gifts from the Persian King. Emperor Valerian promoted Aurelian to 'Inspector of the Military Camps'. A man doubted by modern historians to have existed, Ulpius Crinitus was said to have been the Dux (leader) of the Illyrian and Thracian Border under [[Valerian]]. Aurelian was made his deputy. Crinitus supposedly adopted him after Aurelian was proved to have been a good subordinate by crushing raids by the Goths and enriching the provinces with the spoils of war. He announced his adoption of Aurelian and the Emperor gave his blessing. Ulpius Crinitus was of the Ulpia gens, the family of which the emperor [[Trajan]] came from.  

== Emperor ==

== Emperor ==

After the death of Valerian, he served the Emperors Gallienus and Claudius II. He was in command of the wars against the [[Goths]] and the Herculi. He was then put in charge of a large and elite Cavalry force and then was put in charge of mopping up operations in the Balkans against the Goths who were defeated by Claudius II. After the death of [[Claudius II]], Aurelian was declared Emperor by the Danubian Legions. The [[Roman Senate]] chose [[Quintillus]], the brother of Claudius II to succeed him. However, Quintillus was soon killed or he committed suicide. Aurelian arrived in Rome and he eventually ordered the construction of a wall to protect the city of Rome from potential barbarian invasions. Since he was going to be away from Rome for some time on campaign. The construction of the wall started in AD 271 and these set of walls are known as the wall of Aurelian. They incorporated many monuments into the design such as the mausoleum of [[Hadrian]] to save resources and time. The Emperor Maxentius upgraded the walls and doubled it's height to protect Rome from the forces of his rival, [[Constantine I]].

After the death of Valerian, he served the Emperors Gallienus and Claudius II. He was in command of the wars against the [[Goths]] and the Herculi. He was then put in charge of a large and elite Cavalry force and then was put in charge of mopping up operations in the Balkans against the Goths who were defeated by Claudius II. After the death of [[Claudius II]], Aurelian was declared Emperor by the Danubian Legions. The [[Roman Senate]] chose [[Quintillus]], the brother of Claudius II to succeed him. However, Quintillus was soon killed or he committed suicide. Aurelian arrived in Rome and he eventually ordered the construction of a wall to protect the city of Rome from potential barbarian invasions. Since he was going to be away from Rome for some time on campaign. The construction of the wall started in AD 271 and these set of walls are known as the Walls of Aurelian. They incorporated many monuments into the design such as the mausoleum of [[Hadrian]] to save resources and time. The Emperor Maxentius upgraded the walls and doubled it's height to protect Rome from the forces of his rival, [[Constantine I]].

=== Defeating the Palmyrene Empire ===

=== Defeating the Palmyrene Empire ===

In AD 272, Aurelian marched with his legions to defeat the Palmyrene Empire under Zenobia and Vaballathus. The Palmyrene Empire had invaded parts of Asia Minor, the Levant and Egypt. They met fierce resistance from a Roman Admiral, Tenagino Probus who had been conducting operations in the Mediterranean sea against Gothic pirates. He came back to Egypt after the Palmyrenes left a garrison of 5,000 men. He ejected the garrison from the province. The Palmyrenes came back and he defeated them. He pursued them but the Roman force was surprise attacked near Babylon, a Roman garrison fort and he was captured. Probus committed suicide. In the province of Arabia, they also met resistance from Trassus, the commander of a Roman Legion but he was defeated near Bostra. Aurelian met little resistance in Asia minor, many cities and towns were not in support of Zenobia's conquest of the region.  

In AD 272, Aurelian marched with his legions to defeat the Palmyrene Empire under Zenobia and Vaballathus. The Palmyrene Empire had invaded parts of Asia Minor, the Levant and Egypt. They met fierce resistance from a Roman Admiral, Tenagino Probus who had been conducting operations in the Mediterranean sea against Gothic pirates. He came back to Egypt after the Palmyrenes left a garrison of 5,000 men. He ejected the garrison from the province. The Palmyrenes came back and he defeated them. He pursued them but the Roman force was surprise attacked near Babylon, a Roman garrison fort and he was captured. Probus committed suicide. In the province of Arabia, they also met resistance from Trassus, the commander of a Roman Legion but he was defeated near Bostra. Aurelian met little resistance in Asia minor, many cities and towns were not supportive of Zenobia's conquest of the region.  

The city of Antioch fell to Aurelian after the Palmyrenes under a general name Zabdas were defeated in Immae on the route to Antioch. The Palmyrenes wanted to prevent Aurelian from capturing Antioch since it was a very important city in the Roman East. The Palmyrene forces reorganized and were stationed in the walled Roman colony of Emesa. The two sides met in the fields of Emesa. The Romans were outnumbered but Aurelian's forces prevailed and the Palmyrenes lost the battle of Emesa.  Aurelian was welcomed into the city and he built a local temple. The Palmyrenes fled and went back to Palmyra. The siege of Palmyra in AD 272 ended the campaign and Zenobia was captured. Aurelian probably spared Zenobia and Vaballathus. However, he killed Zenobia's chief advisers.

The city of Antioch fell to Aurelian after the Palmyrenes under a general name Zabdas were defeated in Immae on the route to Antioch. The Palmyrenes wanted to prevent Aurelian from capturing Antioch since it was a very important city in the Roman East. The Palmyrene forces reorganized and were stationed in the walled Roman colony of Emesa. The two sides met in the fields of Emesa. The Romans were outnumbered but Aurelian's forces prevailed and the Palmyrenes lost the battle of Emesa.  Aurelian was welcomed into the city and he built a local temple. The Palmyrenes fled and went back to Palmyra. The siege of Palmyra in AD 272 ended the campaign and Zenobia was captured. Aurelian probably spared Zenobia and Vaballathus. However, he killed Zenobia's chief advisers.

=== Defeating the Gallic Roman Empire ===

=== Defeating the Gallic Roman Empire ===

Then he focused his attention to the provinces of west. He defeated the Gallic Roman Empire under Tetricus I and his Caesar, Tetricus II in AD 274, in the battle of Chalons. Tetricus, his son and his close staff defected to Aurelian probably as part of a prearranged plan to surrender when the Rhine and Danubian legions met. Tetricus defected when the two sides met so that the generals couldn't pick one of their own to command the Rhine legions. The battle of Chalons was a bloody battle that apparently saw the Rhine Legions massacred. It probably was not part of Aurelian's plan since he needed those legions to defend Gaul from invasion from Germanic tribes. Through that, he reunited the whole Empire under one Emperor.

Then he focused his attention to the provinces of west. He defeated the Gallic Roman Empire under Tetricus I and his Caesar, Tetricus II in AD 274, in the battle of Chalons. Tetricus, his son and his close staff defected to Aurelian probably as part of a prearranged plan to surrender when the Rhine and Danubian legions met. They defected when the two sides met so that the generals couldn't pick one of their own to command the Rhine legions. The battle of Chalons was a bloody battle that apparently saw the Rhine Legions massacred. It was most likely not part of Aurelian's plan since he needed those legions to defend Gaul from Germanic invasions. Through that, he reunited the whole Empire under one Emperor.

== Death ==

== Death ==

== Character and Religion ==

== Character and Religion ==

Aurelian was a conservative Roman from farming stock who simply wanted to restore the Roman Empire to greatness before the [[third-century crisis]] that devastated the Empire with barbarian invasions, the Sassanid Persian Empire, civil wars and near economic collapse. He made a lot of effort to reward loyalty and maintain friendly relationships with the [[Roman Senate]]. His supporters were very loyal to him. He was strict and harsh towards corruption and military discipline. Aurelian was a Roman Pagan and a follower of the Romanized Eastern deity, Sol Invictus,

Aurelian was a conservative Roman from farming stock who simply wanted to restore the Roman Empire to greatness before the [[third-century crisis]] that devastated the Empire with barbarian invasions, wars with the Sassanids, civil wars and near economic collapse. He made a lot of effort to reward loyalty and maintain friendly relationships with the [[Roman Senate]]. His supporters were very loyal to him. He was strict and harsh towards corruption and military discipline. Aurelian was a Roman Pagan and a follower of the Romanized Eastern deity, Sol Invictus,

the Unconquered Sun.

the Unconquered Sun.