The map above shows what the Mediterranean world looked like in 270 CE: while the Roman empire retained power in the centre, a breakaway state formed around Gaul in the West, and one around Palmyra in the East.

To help you better understand how our local theatre fits into the larger crisis, I’ve highlighted the province of Dacia on the map, along with the lands of the Dacian Carpi and the Germanic Goths. Of course, there were dozens of other tribes on the frontiers of the empire, but I’ve only focused on the players that are most relevant to our story.