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Life in the countryside became worse, as invaders roamed the frontier regions as well and marauders joined them in their roamings.
农村地区的生活状况更为糟糕。入侵者在边境地区游荡，抢劫者也加入他们的队伍。
Oddly the luckiest peasants were those who were allowed to work on a Fudian style farm.
那些在农场里工作的农民反倒比较幸运。
Even though they were little better than human farm machinery at least their employers that is to say their masters could afford to protect them from the brigands.
尽管他们的劳作类似于机器似的，但至少他们的雇主，也就是他们的主人能够保护他们免遭强盗袭击。
This crisis of the third century AD was a bigger gut check for Rome than Hannibal had ever caused.
第三世纪危机比汉尼拔给罗马带来的危机还要严重。
Rome had never been in such dire straits some emperors waon quick popularity by persecuting the Christian church.
罗马从来都没有陷入过这样的困境，一些皇帝因为迫害基督教堂而得到了民众的欢迎。
Which was growing by leaps and bounds in these troubled times.
基督教堂在这个艰难时期有了突飞猛进的发展。
The Christians were blamed for wrecking the Pax Deiorum and the emperors made use of it.
人们怪罪基督徒破坏了罗马的神明和平，皇帝们也就利用了民众这一心理。
Otherwise capable emperors like Valerian 253 to 260 and Aurelian 270 to 275 got control of the state
而像公元253-260年间在位的瓦莱良和公元270到275年间的奥勒良执政期间，
only to lose their lives in stupid attempts to take out the Persians.
都因为试图击退波斯人而丢了性命。
Aurelian was murdered on their way out to fight them and he got off lightly compared to Valerian.
奥勒良在去往战场的路上就遇害身亡。相比之下，瓦莱良就没有这么轻巧了。
Valerian was taken alive by the Persian empire Shapur the first.
他先是被波斯皇帝沙普尔活捉。
Supposedly Valerian lived out his days as Shapur's personal footstep
在余下的日子里都屈辱地充当沙普尔的脚凳。
alghough this could well be an urban legend spread by the Christians whom Valerian very eagerly persecuted.
当然，这个说法也有可能是饱受瓦莱良迫害的基督徒所捏造出来的。
Regardless of its truth this footstool anecdote provides a very vivid image of how far Rome's prestige had fallen
但是不管其真实性，这种脚凳的轶闻足以证明罗马的威望已经跌到了冰点。
no roman would ever have dared whisper a story like this about Augustus of Vespasian or Trajan or even Septimius Severus.
从前罗马人是绝对不敢讲关于奥古斯都或图拉真甚至是赛维鲁的这种传闻的。
More in one moment.
我们稍事休息。
