The Imperial Crisis was a tough time for the Roman Empire that happened from about 235 to 284 AD. During this period, the empire faced a lot of problems, like weak leaders, civil wars, and invasions from enemies. Many different people tried to become emperor, which made things chaotic.
This crisis weakened the government and the economy. Because of all the fighting, trade slowed down, and people had a harder time getting food and supplies. The empire also had to spend a lot of money on defending itself, which made things worse.
Overall, the Imperial Crisis showed just how weak the Roman Empire had become, and it was a big step toward the eventual fall of the Western Roman Empire hundreds of years later.