In this episode of The History in Motion Podcast, we explore the life and legacy of Emperor Aurelian, the battle-hardened soldier who pulled the Roman Empire back from the brink of collapse. Born in the provinces, Aurelian rose through the ranks to become the empire’s fiercest crisis commander—defeating barbarian invaders, reabsorbing breakaway states, and restoring imperial control from Britain to Syria.

In just five years, he earned the title Restitutor Orbis—“Restorer of the World”—and began laying the foundations for a stronger, more centralized Rome. But his reign ended in betrayal, murdered by his own officers while preparing to confront Persia.

Was Aurelian Rome’s last great unifier—or the first architect of its autocratic future? Join us as we unpack the life of a forgotten giant who saved an empire—only to be undone from within.