Diocletian-_Historical_Investigation

Ancient History assessment task- Historical Investigation To what extent was Diocletian successful in his reforms' Although not all of Diocletian’s plans and reforms for the Roman Empire were successful, he proved to be a successful ruler as the introduction of his reforms is what stabilised the Roman Empire. Introducing economic, administrative and social reforms, his actions laid the foundations for the division of the Roman Empire. Diocletian saved an empire collapsing under its own weight. He reformed the way the empire was administered by introducing the division of responsibilities amongst a tetrarchy (rule of four). His reforms were often extreme and not always successful but ensured that for the twenty five years of his reign, the Roman Empire experienced stability. Born in approximately 240AD, Diocletian began life as Diocles. It was the role of becoming commander of the Emperor’s bodyguard that is what stepped him up in the community’s eyes proving he has ability and commitment. He was elected as Emperor by the army in 284AD after the murder of the existing imperial dynasty. His rein was autocratic, taking no account of other people’s wishes or opinions. All Romans had to lie before him and refer to him as “Our Lord”. Despite this, Diocletian worked hard for the empire he inherited. Problems Diocletian faced and his actions proving him to be successful/unsuccessful: Frontier Revolts Diocletian inherited an empire collapsing under its own weight. The early third century was marked by an increasingly dominant army. It became customary for legions to offer the empire to the highest bidder. Civil wars soon broke out amongst rivals. This internal turmoil provided the perfect chance for opportunistic barbarians and client states to attack the empires’ frontiers. For the first ten years of his reign, Diocletian and his colleague Maximian were preoccupied with revolts in places as diverse as Gaul, Persia and Egypt as well as attacks from barbarian tribes. At the same time, it was necessary to reclaim Britain after it became part of the mini empire of Carausius. The revolts were brought under control and the empire stabilised by a series of reforms. The Tetrarchy Diocletian realised that the empire was too large for one man to manage. His answer was to divide the overall administration between two emperors or Augusti, one for the east and one for the west. Each Augustus would appoint a Caesar, a deputy who was also their effective heir. The result of this new system, known as a tetrarchy was that the frontiers were quickly brought back under control. The system was also supposed to prevent fighting over the succession, since the heirs were already nominated and in place. This proved to be successful, but only when Diocletian was emperor. The first tetrarchy was established in 294AD with Diocletian as the eastern Augustus with Galerius as his Caesar and Maximian Augustus of the west, with Constantius. However, despite the division of power, Diocletian remained in overall control. Administrative Reforms In addition to dividing overall control of the empire, Diocletian subdivided the empire into 13 large units or dioceses which created a whole new level of government. The addition of the 13 dioceses created a hierarchy of different levels of control further rising Diocletian’s own power. Diocletian also separated military administration from civil. As emperor, he made sure that he had direct control of the army. Economic Reforms Diocletian’s economic reforms were less successful. By the time of his reign, the coinage of the empire was so corrupt it was basically worthless. Diocletian attempted to rescue it, by re issuing new coins. However, there was not enough gold and silver available to support it. As a compromise, Diocletian then reformed the tax system, allowing payment in trade rather than money, and introduced the bidding process. Religion A religious conservative, Diocletian was devoted to the old ways. He started a series of persecutions, forcing Christians to sacrifice to the old gods to strengthen Roman Traditions. Diocletian’s Retirement In 303, Diocletian celebrated 20 years in power with his first visit to Rome. However, the following year, he fell seriously ill and took the unprecedented decision to stand down as emperor. Maximian did the same, Galerius and Constantius Chlorus became Augusti, appointing new Caesars. Diocletian then moved back to his home town where he retired and declared that he did not miss his power. In conclusion, Diocletian proved to be successful in stabilising the Empire with his new reforms, in which some are still in place today in the present government systems. However, some would say he was just delaying the inevitable when it came to Rome in the end as most of his reforms were abolished soon after Diocletian abdicated from his position as Emperor.