Diocletian (r. 284-305)

Question 1

conditions under Diocletian

Answer 1

pressure on the frontiers decreased and the crisis period came to an end.

Question 2

succession struggles

Answer 2

overall they seem to have come to an end. in the north-western part of the empire Caurausius, an usurper and general, became the only pressure on the stability of the throne.

Question 3

Diocletian’s reforms

Answer 3

expanded and reorganized the army, improved the frontier defences, adopted the idea of mobile field forces, strengthened many frontiers, increased the number of soldiers and organized the armed forces in smaller units.
he introduced a new and more elaborate taxation system.poll taxes were introduced in the cities. taxes in kind were increased and systematized. in 301 he issued an edict fixing maximum prices (unsuccessful).
bound the farmers to the soil and craftsmen to their trades. curiales were bound to their social classes.

Question 4

further expansion of bureaucracy

Answer 4

central and provincial authorities had to take over several of the municipal magistrates’ tasks.
at a local level there was a progressive social differentiation between completely local curiales and townsmen who also had risen to higher social and administrative levels.
strengthened the central and provincial administrative machineries. more officials were appointed and large provinces were split up into smaller units. provinces were regrouped into dioceses. the offices of the governors became more uniform and professional.
he divided military and civil power. Italy lost its privileged position and was divided into common tax-paying provinces.

Question 5

the senate and the equestrian order

Answer 5

the senatorial class lost its privileged position in higher administration. the senate in the late imperial age has been described as a town council.the equestrian order grew tremendously and became increasingly heterogeneous.

Question 6

emperorship and the emperor’s succession

Answer 6

Diocletian appointed one co-emperor and two junior emperors. this system was created in hopes of preventing succession struggles. the four emperors resided in Nicomedia, Milan, Sirmium and Trier.

Question 7

emperorship in a new ideological light

Answer 7

Diocletian presented himself and his co-emperor Maximian (286-305) as emperors by the grace of the gods. this resulted in the emperors losing direct contact with local authorities and local frontier commanders.

Question 8

persecution of the Christians

Answer 8

the years between 250-311 saw a number of systematic persecutions all over the empire. they were inaugurated by Decius who aimed at all people uniting in religious rites but the christians refused.
Valerian aimed to dismantle their communities by persecuting their clergy and rich christians and destroying their properties.
in 260 Gallienus put and end to the persecutions to eliminate extra sources of unrest.
In 303 Diocletian instituted a major persecution in fear of the christians becoming too organized and numerous. Galerius halted these in 311.