Diocletian
Topic: The Roman Empire · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
Diocletian was a Roman emperor who ruled from 284 to 305 CE. He came to power after the third-century crisis, when the empire was under attack on many fronts. He saw that the empire had grown too big to defend. So he gave up lands of little military or economic value, made the frontiers stronger and redrew the borders of the provinces. He also split civilian work from military work. Army commanders, called duces (army chiefs in charge of frontier regions), now acted more freely. His reforms helped begin the period called late antiquity.
Example
In 297 CE Diocletian's reorganisation divided the empire into about 100 provinces. Smaller provinces were easier to govern and tax. From 293 CE he also shared power through the Tetrarchy, a "rule of four" with two senior and two junior emperors.
Don't confuse with
- Constantine: he ruled after Diocletian. He made Christianity the official religion, brought in the gold solidus and founded Constantinople. Diocletian's reforms were about land, frontiers and government.
Related concepts
- Constantine
- Edict of Milan 313
- Christianisation of the Roman Empire
- Constantinople
- Post-Roman kingdoms
- Byzantine empire
- Justinian
- Late antiquity
- Prophet Muhammad
- Hijra