From Auxilia to Emperor: The Rise of Thracians in Imperial Rome

Members of the equite and senatorial classes of Rome are the focus of most Ancient historians. This is because they made up the majority of political figures as well as the majority of ancient scholars themselves. Nearly every Roman Emperor prior to the second century CE belonged to these classes of privileged Italians. During and after the third century however, we see an increasing number of non-Italians both named and unnamed rising to political and military prominence. This was because Rome’s military system that had been designed to romanize non-Romans had in fact opened the way for the descendents of non-citizens to gain immense power within Rome. This shift in power would eventually manifest itself fully in 235 CE when a man that was considered a barbarian by ancient historians was declared emperor. <a href="https://medium.com/@burnsgilbert/from-auxilia-to-emperor-the-rise-of-thracians-in-imperial-rome-316339779409">Learn More</a>