Aurelian (c. AD 215–275)

Roman emperor 270–75. A successful soldier, he was proclaimed emperor by his troops on the death of Claudius II. He campaigned on the Danube and then defeated a large raid into Italy mounted by the Alamanni and Juthungi. He moved east and captured Queen Zenobia of Palmyra (now Tadmur, Syria) by the end of 272, destroying Palmyra itself in 273. He was planning a campaign against the Persians when he was murdered by a group of his own officers.

After his defeat of the Gallic usurper Tetricus, Aurelian began construction of much stronger defences for Rome. The Aurelian Wall, a fortification surrounding Rome made of Roman concrete, was built in 271, and substantial ruins exist. The Aurelian Way ran from Rome through Pisa and Genoa to Antipolis (Antibes) in Gaul.