Editing Aurelian (section)

===Reunification of the empire===
The first actions of the new Emperor were aimed at strengthening his own position in his territories. Late in 270, Aurelian campaigned in northern [[Italia (Roman province)|Italia]] against the [[Vandals]], [[Juthungi]], and [[Sarmatians]], expelling them from Roman territory. To celebrate these victories, Aurelian was granted the title of ''Germanicus Maximus''.<ref>Zosimus, 1,48f.; Eutropius; [[Dexippus]], FGrH IIA 460 F7; ''Historia Augusta – Aurelianus'' xxi,1–3 and xviii,2.</ref> The authority of the Emperor was challenged by several [[roman usurper|usurpers]]—[[Septimius (Roman emperor usurper)|Septimius]], [[Urbanus (Roman usurper)|Urbanus]], [[Domitian II|Domitianus]], and the rebellion of [[Felicissimus]]—who tried to exploit the sense of insecurity of the empire and the overwhelming influence of the armies in Roman politics. Aurelian, being an experienced commander, was aware of the importance of the army, and his propaganda, known through his coinage, shows he wanted the support of the legions.<ref name=korner />

====Defending Italy against the [[Juthungi]]====
[[Image:Porta Asinaria 2948.JPG|right|thumb|The [[Porta Asinaria]], a gate in the [[Aurelian Walls]]]]
The burden of the northern barbarians was not yet over, however. In 271, the [[Alamanni]] moved towards Italia, entering the [[Po Valley|Po plain]] and sacking the villages; they passed the [[Po River]], occupied [[Piacenza|Placentia]] and moved towards [[Fano]]. Aurelian, who was in Pannonia to control the [[Vandals]]' withdrawal, quickly entered Italia, but his army was defeated in an [[Battle of Placentia (271)|ambush near Placentia]] (January 271). When the news of the defeat arrived in Rome, it caused great fear for the arrival of the barbarians, but Aurelian attacked the Alamanni camping near the [[Metauro|Metaurus River]], defeating them in the [[Battle of Fano]], and forcing them to re-cross the Po river; Aurelian finally routed them at [[Battle of Pavia (271)|Pavia]]. For this, he received the title ''Germanicus Maximus''. However, the menace of the Germanic people and a Germanic invasion was still perceived by the Romans as likely; therefore Aurelian resolved to build a new system of walls around [[Rome]] that became known as the [[Aurelian Walls]].{{sfn|Watson|1999|pp=51–54, 217}}

====Defeat of the Goths and abandonment of Dacia====
The emperor led his legions to the Balkans, where he defeated and routed the Goths beyond the Danube, killing the Gothic leader [[Cannabaudes]], and assuming the title of ''Gothicus Maximus''. However, he decided to abandon the province of [[Roman Dacia|Dacia]], on the exposed north bank of the Danube, as it was too difficult and expensive to defend. He reorganized a new province of Dacia south of the Danube, inside the former [[Moesia]], called [[Dacia Aureliana]], with [[Serdica]] as the capital.{{sfn|Watson|1999|pp=54–55}}

====Conquest of the Palmyrene Empire====
[[Image:Map of Ancient Rome 271 AD.svg|thumb|right|The Roman Empire by 271 A.D before the reconquest of the [[Palmyrene Empire]] and the [[Gallic Empire]] by Aurelian]]
[[File:AurelianusPalmyra272.png|thumb|The route of Aurelian's campaign against Palmyra.]]

In 272, Aurelian turned his attention to the lost eastern provinces of the empire, the [[Palmyrene Empire]], ruled by Queen [[Zenobia]] from the city of [[Palmyra]].<ref>The war against the Palmyrene Empire is described in Zosimus, 1,50,1–1,61,1, and ''Historia Augusta'', ''Aurelianus'', 22–31.</ref> Zenobia had carved out her own empire, encompassing [[Syria (Roman province)|Syria]], [[Palestine (region)|Palestine]], [[Egypt (Roman province)|Egypt]] and large parts of [[Asia Minor]]. The Syrian queen cut off Rome's shipments of grain, and in a matter of weeks, the Romans started running low on bread. In the beginning, Aurelian had been recognized as Emperor, while [[Vaballathus]], the son of Zenobia, held the title of {{lang|la|rex}} and {{lang|la|imperator}} ("king" and "supreme military commander"), but Aurelian decided to invade the eastern provinces as soon as he felt his army to be strong enough.

Asia Minor was recovered easily; every city but [[Byzantium]] and [[Tyana]] surrendered to him with little resistance. The [[Siege of Tyana (272)|fall of Tyana]] lent itself to a legend: Aurelian to that point had destroyed every city that resisted him, but he spared Tyana after having a vision of the great 1st-century philosopher [[Apollonius of Tyana]], whom he respected greatly, in a dream. Apollonius implored: "Aurelian, if you desire to rule, abstain from the blood of the innocent! Aurelian, if you will conquer, be merciful!"<ref>{{cite book |last1=Stoneman |first1=Richard |title=Palmyra and its Empire: Zenobia's Revolt against Rome |date=1994 |pages=167 |publisher=University of Michigan Press |isbn=0472083155 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=8kLFfE1qPhIC&pg=PA167}}</ref> Aurelian spared Tyana, and it paid off; many more cities submitted to him upon seeing that the Emperor would not exact revenge upon them. Within six months, his armies stood at the gates of Palmyra, which surrendered when Zenobia tried to flee to the [[Sassanid Empire]].

[[Image:Antoninianus-Aurelianus-Palmyra-s3262.jpg|left|thumb|313x313px|Aurelian and the personification of [[Helios#Roman mythology|Sol]] defeat the Palmyrene Empire, and celebrates ORIENS AVG – {{lang|la|oriens Augusti}}: the rising sun/star of Augustus. Legend: IMP. AVRELIANVS AVG. / ORIENS AVG. – XIR.]]
Eventually Zenobia and her son were captured and made to walk the streets of Rome in his triumph, the woman in golden chains. With the grain stores once again shipped to Rome, Aurelian's soldiers handed out free bread to the citizens of the city, and the Emperor was hailed a hero by his subjects. After a brief clash with the Persians and another in Egypt against the usurper [[Firmus]], Aurelian was obliged to return to Palmyra in 273 when that city rebelled once more. This time, Aurelian allowed his soldiers to sack the city, and Palmyra never recovered. More honors came his way; he was now known as {{lang|la|Parthicus Maximus}} and {{lang|la|Restitutor Orientis}} ("Restorer of the East").<ref name=korner />

He took up the title {{lang|la|Restitutor Orbis}} ("Restorer of the World"). This title was first assumed by Aurelian in late summer of 272, and had been carried previously by both Valerian and Gallienus.{{sfn|Watson|1999}}{{efn|This title had also been attested in the epigraphs of [[Gordian III]] and Philip.<ref>{{cite book|last=Brent|first=Allen|editor-first=Mark|editor-last=Edwards|title=The Routledge Handbook of Early Christian Philosophy|year=2021|p=376|isbn=9781134855988}}</ref>}} The increased frequency of its usage was Aurelian's innovation.{{sfn|Watson|1999|p=174}}

The rich province of Egypt was also recovered by Aurelian. The Brucheion (Royal Quarter) in Alexandria was burned to the ground. This section of the city once contained the [[Library of Alexandria]], although the extent of the surviving Library in Aurelian's time is uncertain.

====Conquest of the Gallic Empire====
In 274, the victorious emperor turned his attention to the west, and the [[Gallic Empire]] which had already been reduced in size by [[Claudius Gothicus|Claudius II]]. Aurelian won this campaign largely through diplomacy; the "Gallic Emperor" [[Tetricus I|Tetricus]] was willing to abandon his throne and allow Gaul and Britain to return to the Empire, but could not openly submit to Aurelian. Instead, the two seem to have conspired so that when the armies met at the [[Battle of Châlons (274)|Battle of Châlons]] [[Châlons-en-Champagne|at Durocatalaunum]] that autumn, Tetricus simply deserted to the Roman camp and Aurelian easily defeated the Gallic army facing him.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Goldsworthy |first1=Adrian Keith |title=How Rome fell: death of a superpower |date=2009 |publisher=Yale University Press |location=New haven (Conn.) |isbn=978-0-300-13719-4 |pages=118–119}}</ref><ref>{{cite book |last1=Gibbon |first1=Edward |title=The decline and fall of the Roman empire. Volume I |date=1993 |publisher=Everyman's Library |location=New York |isbn=978-0-679-42308-9 |page=332 |edition=[New.], 10. printing}}</ref> Tetricus was rewarded for his collusion by Aurelian who made him a [[Roman senator|senator]] and {{lang|la|[[Corrector#Roman Antiquity|corrector]]}} (governor) of [[Roman Italy#Augustan organization|Lucania et Bruttium]].
[[File:Radiate of Aurelian (YORYM 2001 9658) obverse.jpg|thumb|upright|A Radiate of Aurelian, obverse. Legend: IMP. AVRELIANVS AVG.]]
[[File:Radiate of Aurelian (YORYM 2001 9658) reverse.jpg|thumb|upright|A Radiate of Aurelian, reverse. Legend: ORIENS AVG. – EXXI.]]
In four years, Aurelian had secured the frontiers of the Empire and reunified it.{{citation needed|date=September 2021}}