When and why did the Pax Romana end?

Traditionally, the Pax Romana is considered to have ended in 180 AD with the death of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the Five Good Emperors. His death was followed by the tyrannical reign of Commodus, the Year of the Five Emperors, and the Crisis of the Third Century. This transition marked Rome's descent from a golden era of prosperous stability into a period characterized by internal turmoil.

What we know

• Traditionally, the end of the Pax Romana is considered to be 180 AD with the death of Marcus Aurelius, the last of the Five Good Emperors. [1, 2]
• Marcus Aurelius was the last of the Five Good Emperors. [2]
• Following the end of the era, Rome experienced the tyrannical reign of Commodus, followed by the Year of the Five Emperors and the Crisis of the Third Century. [1, 2]

Where to go next

• a case in pointWho were the Five Good Emperors of Rome?
• what caused itWhat caused the Crisis of the Third Century?
• whoHow did Commodus rule the Roman Empire?
• whenWhen did the Pax Romana begin?
• what followedWhat was the Year of the Five Emperors?
• an unexpected connectionHow does a historical video game portray the Pax Romana?The historical era of the Pax Romana serves as the setting for a modern real-time strategy video game franchise developed by Ubisoft Mainz.

Sources

• [1]Pax Romana (Wikidata Q75207) · CC0 1.0
• [2]Pax Romana · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [3]Pax Romana (organization) · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [4]Anno 117 · CC BY-SA 4.0
• [5]Pax Americana · CC BY-SA 4.0