Emperor Aurelian and the Roman Senate: The History of the Conflict

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The article examines the relationship between emperor Aurelian (270–275 AD) and the Roman Senate, which by the 3rd century AD had lost its leading political role but retained significant political and economic influence. Special attention is paid to Aurelian’s measures aimed at consolidating and centralizing power, which directly affected the interests of the senatorial class and the capital’s aristocracy as a whole. The study analyzes the emperor’s dual strategy -combining repressive measures (executions, purges) with attempts to maintain dialogue with the aristocratic elite (consultations, appointments of senators to key positions). A key focus is the circumstances of Aurelian’s assassination during preparations for a campaign against Persia, in which, according to ancient historical accounts, senators played an active role. The research is based on an analysis of classical narrative and numismatic sources, supplemented by modern scholarship. Comparative-historical and critical methods are applied. The article argues that the strengthening of imperial power inevitably led to conflict with the Senate, which predetermined the brevity of Aurelian’s reign. At the same time, it significantly revises traditional portrayals of Aurelian as an excessively brutal and authoritarian ruler. The study demonstrates that Aurelian sought peaceful coexistence and compromise with the capital’s nobility. His reign vividly illustrates the tension between the necessity of strong imperial authority in the 3rd century AD and the aristocracy’s struggle to preserve its privileges. Aurelian’s assassination resulted from a complex interplay between senatorial opposition and military elites. The circumstances of the subsequent election of Tacitus as emperor in Rome provide evidence of the Senate’s active involvement in the conspiracy.

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