Transcript diocletian

Early Life
• Full name: Gaius Aurelius Valerius
Diocletianus
• Born: c. 22 December 244 – 3 December
311(Age 66)
• On the Dalmatian Coast (present day:
Solin, Croatia)
• Illyrian family: low social status
Rise To Power
• He began working his way through the
military ranks
• “Duke of Moesia” protected border and
proved his value as a soldier
• 282-Carus was pronounced emperor
• Diocletian was promoted to commander of
the cavalry arm of the imperial bodyguard
• 283-granted honor of consulate by Carus
Rise To Power continued
• 284- Carus dies while on campaign
against the Persians
• Empire left to his two sons, Numerian and
Carinus
• Numerian mysteriously dies of natural
causes- Diocletian proclaimed emperor
• 285-Battle of Margus- Carinus’s men kill
him; giving Diocletian complete power
over the empire
Early Rule
•
•
•
•
•
•
most immediate concerns were to bring the mutinous and increasingly
barbarized Roman armies back under control and to make the frontiers
once again secure from invasion
His long-term goals were to restore effective government and economic
prosperity to the empire and believed stern measures were necessary to
accomplish these goals
Divided the 50 providences into 100 and created a system of people to rule
them
285- He named Maximian co-emperor and his “Augustan son” in order to
provide a successor in case of his death
He fought many wars with many different barbarian tribes including, the
Sarmations and took the name Sarmaticus Maximus upon defeating them in
in 289
He and Maximian met in Milan (selection of location over Rome, displayed
imperial view that center of Rome was wherever the leaders were) in 291 to
discuss the state of the empire
Tetrarchy
• Diocletian’s daughter (Valeria) husband Galerius named his
“Caesar” and given control of Egypt, Syria, Palestine, and the whole
eastern border
• Maximian’s daughter’s husband Constantius was named his
“Caesar” and given Gaul and Britain to rule
• This alliance was called the “tetrarch” from the greek for “rule by
four”
• Diocletian and Maximian considered each other brothers and
Galerius and Constantius as their sons
• He created an order to secession; every Augusti would select a
Caesar to secede them (there was no system before and with the
frequent assignations of the time there were many issues over
emperor secession)
Wars/Campaigns
•
•
•
•
Sarmation and Danubian tribes (285-300)
Alamanni (288)
Usurpers in Egypt (297-98)
Sassanid Persia (299)- Diocletian and Rome
reached a lasting and favorable peace with this
traditional enemy
• 302-ordered that the leading followers of Mani
be burnt alive along with their scriptures
• Killed and enslaved Manicheans
Reforms
•
•
•
•
large increase in the number of bureaucrats at the government's command
greater number of governors (praesides) ruling over smaller regions and
smaller populations
under the new system vicarii and governors were responsible for justice and
taxation, and a new class of duces ("dukes"), acting independently of the
civil service, had military command
The sharp increase in the number of edicts and rescripts produced under
Diocletian's rule has been read as evidence of a thorough going effort to
realign the whole empire on terms dictated by the imperial center
•
Diocletian's reign marks the end of the classical period of Roman law.
Diocletian's system of rescripts shows an adherence to classical tradition,
but Constantine's law was full of Greek and eastern influences
Reforms continued
•
•
•
•
•
•
•
The army expanded to about 580,000 men from a 285 strength of 390,000 men.
The growth was smaller in the East, which only expanded from 250,000 men to
310,000 men, most of whom manned the Persian frontier. The navy's forces
increased from approximately 45,000 to approx 60,000
“Compulsory Service”- occupations so important to Rome’s function (bakers,
farmers,soldiers,ect.) that Diocletian made those who held them stick to it for
life
Diocletian introduced an extensive new tax system based on heads (capita)
and land (iuga) and tied to a new, regular census of the empire's population
and wealth
Inflation was a major issue during Diocletian Rome, the lack of gold and silver
coinage made it impossible for a standard currency to be established
Diocletian released numerous edicts in attempt to fix the system, but his lack
of understanding of basic supply and demand laws prevented these attempts
from succeeding
Fortunately these edicts were quickly destroyed or edited
The Diocletianic Persecutions (303–11), was the empire's last, largest, and
bloodiest official persecution of Christianity (Diocletian believe in Olympiad
gods)
Legacy
• Diocletian left the imperial office on May 1, 305, and became the first
Roman emperor to voluntarily abdicate the position
• Diocletian's reforms fundamentally changed the structure of Roman
imperial government and helped stabilize the empire economically
and militarily for nearly 100 years, those system’s that were once
near the brink of collapse during Diocletian’s childhood
• He lived out his retirement in peace in his famous Dalmatian coast
palace
• He rejected opportunity to return in 308
• His tetrarch system fell and led to civil war quickly after his and
Maximian’s departure and there was civil war till 324 when
Constantine came to power
• Bureaucratic and military growth, constant campaigning, and
construction projects increased the state's expenditures, and
necessitated a major tax reform. From at least 297 on, imperial
taxation was standardized, made more equitable, and levied at
generally higher rates.
Sources
•
•
http://www.roman-emperors.org/dioclet.htm
“Diocletian and the Roman Recovery” by Stephen
Williams
•
http://library.thinkquest.org/26907/emper
ors/diocletian.htm