ABSTRACT
The third century ad in Roman history really began with the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 and lasted a little more than hundred years until the accession of Diocletian in 284/285. It falls into two almost equal parts. The first extends from the death of Marcus Aurelius in 180 to the assassination of Severus Alexander in 235. The century's second part stretches from 235 to the ultimate victory of Diocletian in 285. Marcus Aurelius had done everything that he could to prepare his son and heir, Commodus, for his role as emperor and ensure a smooth transition of power. Then, under the Severi, the practical division of the Roman citizen body into the more privileged honorable orders and less privileged humble people, which had always existed to one degree or another, became even more pronounced. Under Severus Alexander, the tribunes of the plebs and aediles ceased to be appointed.
