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Great Conquerors: Aurelian
Welcome, Readers!
Today, I want to share with you one of my favorite conquerors of all time.
He went by the title "Restitutor Orbis"—the Restorer of the World.
His name? Aurelian.
Aurelian was a Roman Emperor who rose to power during the Crisis of the Third Century—a period of unimaginable turmoil for the Roman Empire.
Plagued by barbarian invasions, economic collapse, civil wars, and rebellious provinces, the empire was hanging by a thread.
It’s in moments like these—when everything is crumbling—that true legends emerge.
And Aurelian was just that kind of legend.
Within just a few short years of becoming emperor, he held the empire together through sheer willpower, brilliant military strategy, and ruthless determination. That’s why he was given the title Restitutor Orbis. He didn’t just survive the crisis—he restored the Roman world.
I want to share Aurelian’s story with you because I believe I’ve uncovered the core personality trait that gave him such unimaginable perseverance—and in this edition of Great Conquerors, I’m going to break it down.
What Was Happening to the Empire During Aurelian’s Reign?
During Aurelian’s time, Rome was on the brink of collapse. The empire was plagued by a storm of crises:
The economy was in freefall, crushed by rampant inflation, debased coinage, and suffocating taxation.
The government was rotting from within—corruption was rampant, and officials enriched themselves at the empire’s expense.
Barbarian invasions across the Rhine and Danube were unrelenting, weakening the already fragile border defenses.
The imperial throne had become a revolving door, with emperor after emperor rising and falling in quick succession.
And worst of all, Rome was fractured—two rebel states had broken away:
The Palmyrene Empire, under the brilliant Queen Zenobia, had taken over Rome’s eastern provinces.
The Gallic Empire, led by Tetricus, had declared independence in Gaul and Britain.
Rome was divided, beleaguered, and bleeding out from every direction.
And yet, by the end of Aurelian’s reign—many of these problems had been subdued or outright solved.
You might ask: How did he do it? What specific tactics did he use?
And while the methods are impressive—military brilliance, bold reforms, ruthless efficiency—what truly matters, and what we should take from his story, is not how he did it, but the mindset behind it.
Aurelian’s Secret Weapon: Acceptance
Aurelian didn’t shy away from crisis. He didn’t complain, freeze up, or fall into despair.
He accepted the chaos, and then he acted with full force.
That’s what made him legendary.
Aurelian lived to act. To do what needed to be done, regardless of how overwhelming or unfair the circumstances. He may not have restored Rome to its golden age, but he stabilized it, and in doing so, he bought it time—a rare victory in an age of collapse.
And here’s what we can learn:
Acceptance is the first step to power.
Once you stop resisting reality—once you stop saying “this shouldn’t be happening” and instead say “this is happening, now what can I do?”—you open yourself to a new level of energy, clarity, and action.
Acceptance destroys ego.
It silences fear.
And in that space, your authentic self rises.
You become capable of facing anything—not because it’s easy, but because you’re no longer at war with what is.
That is the lesson Aurelian leaves us.
that we must conquer resistance itself.
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