Abstract:

Maximinus Thrax is one of the prominent emperors with different features in the history of the Roman Empire. He is not from a noble family, nor is he a soldier who has reached the rank of praetorian prefect. With his becoming emperor, a period begins between the Severan and Constantinian dynasties, when soldiers ascend to the imperial throne. This period, which called the crisis of the 3rd century, represents a period of weakening in which military strength comes to the fore, the state treasury was emptied, the inhabitants of the empire became impoverished and foreign invasions increased. Maximinus Thrax became an emperor for the first time in a long time, seen as a tyrant, due to his military discipline-based rule and his ruthless and ruthless personality. He subjected the inhabitants of Rome to harsh rule in order to consolidate his power, hide his ordinary origin and strengthen his position. Despite adopting a military discipline and an effort to concentrate power, his military victories are very few. There were uprisings against the emperor by the people and the senate because his power was not voluntarily accepted. But these counter attempts resulted in violent civil wars. The aim of this study is to discuss the reign of Emperor Maximinus Thrax and the events that brought the empire into crisis.

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