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Article: DIOCLETIAN, FOUNDER OF A NEW EMPIRE.(Roman emperor who ruled in the third century A. D.)(Brief Article)
- Article from:
- Calliope
- Article date:
- January 1, 2001
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2001 Carus Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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WHEN THE ROMAN emperor Numerian died in A.D. 284 (murdered, perhaps, by an army officer), political chaos engulfed the empire. Without consulting the senate in Rome, the army named a new emperor from its own ranks. He was Diocletian, a man of humble origins who had risen on his merits as a soldier to become chief of the palace guards.
Although 20 of the 22 Roman emperors who preceded Diocletian had been assassinated or died in battle, Diocletian was determined to alter the system, not fall victim to it. His genius for choosing loyal officers, his keen sense of military strategy, and his ability to govern brought him success. He ruled the Roman world for 21 years.