Barbarian invasions into the Roman Empire of the 3rd century

Since the time of [[Marcus Aurelius]] during the [[Marcomannic Wars]] (166/167-189), Germanic-Sarmatian tribes had not exerted such strong pressure along the northern borders of the Roman Empire.

Since the time of [[Marcus Aurelius]] during the [[Marcomannic Wars]] (166/167-189), Germanic-Sarmatian tribes had not exerted such strong pressure along the northern borders of the Roman Empire.

The growing danger to the Roman Empire of [[Germanic peoples|Germans]] and [[Sarmatians]] was mainly due to a change from previous centuries in the tribal structure of their society: the population, constantly growing and driven by the eastern peoples, needed new territories to expand, or else the weaker tribes would become extinct. Hence the need to aggregate into large ethnic federations, such as those of the [[Alemanni]], [[Franks]] and [[Goths]], in order to better attack the neighboring Empire or to defend themselves against the irruption of other neighboring barbarian populations. For other scholars, however, in addition to the pressure of outside populations, it was also the contact and confrontation with the Roman imperial civilization (its wealth, language, weapons, and organization) that prompted the Germanic peoples to restructure and organize themselves into more robust and permanent social systems, capable of better defending themselves or seriously attacking the Empire.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ruffolo 2004|Ref=Ruffolo 2004||p= 84}}.</ref> Rome, for its part, had been trying since the first century A.D. to prevent the penetration of the barbarians by entrenching itself behind the [[Limes (Roman Empire)|limes]], that is, the continuous line of fortifications extended between the Rhine and the Danube and built precisely to contain the pressure of the Germanic peoples.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Southern 2001||Ref=Southern 2001|pp=205 and 207}}.</ref>

The growing danger to the Roman Empire of [[Germanic peoples]] and [[Sarmatians]] was mainly due to a change from previous centuries in the tribal structure of their society: the population, constantly growing and driven by the eastern peoples, needed new territories to expand, or else the weaker tribes would become extinct. Hence the need to aggregate into large ethnic federations, such as those of the [[Alemanni]], [[Franks]] and [[Goths]], in order to better attack the neighboring Empire or to defend themselves against the irruption of other neighboring barbarian populations. For other scholars, however, in addition to the pressure of outside populations, it was also the contact and confrontation with the Roman imperial civilization (its wealth, language, weapons, and organization) that prompted the Germanic peoples to restructure and organize themselves into more robust and permanent social systems, capable of better defending themselves or seriously attacking the Empire.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Ruffolo 2004|Ref=Ruffolo 2004||p= 84}}.</ref> Rome, for its part, had been trying since the first century A.D. to prevent the penetration of the barbarians by entrenching itself behind the [[Limes (Roman Empire)|limes]], that is, the continuous line of fortifications extended between the Rhine and the Danube and built precisely to contain the pressure of the Germanic peoples.<ref>{{Harvtxt|Southern 2001||Ref=Southern 2001|pp=205 and 207}}.</ref>

The breakthrough by the barbarian peoples along the limes was also facilitated by the [[Crisis of the Third Century|period of severe internal instability]] that ran through the Roman Empire during the third century. In Rome, there was a continuous alternation of [[List of Roman emperors|emperors]] and [[List of Roman usurpers|usurpers]] (the so-called [[Military Anarchy|military anarchy]]). Not only did the internal wars unnecessarily consume important resources in the clashes between the various contenders, but – most seriously – they ended up depleting precisely the frontiers subjected to barbarian aggression.

The breakthrough by the barbarian peoples along the limes was also facilitated by the [[Crisis of the Third Century|period of severe internal instability]] that ran through the Roman Empire during the third century. In Rome, there was a continuous alternation of [[List of Roman emperors|emperors]] and [[List of Roman usurpers|usurpers]] (the so-called [[Military Anarchy|military anarchy]]). Not only did the internal wars unnecessarily consume important resources in the clashes between the various contenders, but – most seriously – they ended up depleting precisely the frontiers subjected to barbarian aggression.