The Reorganization Of The Empire

After a period of anarchy Diocletian (284-305) undertook a reorganization

of the Empire for the sake of greater efficiency. Following a precedent of

earlier successful emperors, he shared (285) the imperial authority with a

colleague, Maximianus, who in 286 became Augustus of the West. As the

greatest danger seemed to lie in the East, Diocletian retained the Eastern

part of the Empire, and having already abandoned Rome as the imper al

residence (284), he settled in Nicomedia in Bithynia. To provide for a

succession to the throne more efficient than the chance succession of

natural heirs, two Caesars were appointed in 293, Constantius Chlorus for

the West, and Galerius, the son-in-law of Diocletian, for the East.

Constantius at once became the son-in-law of Maximianus. These Caesars were

to ascend the throne when the Augusti resigned after twenty years'

reign. The scheme worked temporarily for greater efficiency, but ended in

civil war as the claims of natural heirs were set aside in favor of an

artificial dynasty. At the same time the system bore heavily upon the

people and the prosperity of the Empire rapidly declined.





Bibliography in Cambridge Medieval History, London and New York,

1911, vol. I.





Lactantius, De Mortibus Persecutorum, 7. (MSL, 7:204.)





When Diocletian, the author of crimes and deviser of evils, was ruining

all things, not even from against God could he withhold his hand. This

man, partly by avarice and partly by timidity, overturned the world. For

he made three persons sharers with him in the government. The Empire was

divided into four parts, and armies were multiplied, since each of the

four princes strove to have a much larger military force than any emperor

had had when one emperor alone carried on the government. There began to

be a greater number of those who received taxes than of those who paid

them; so that the means of the husbandmen were exhausted by enormous

impositions, the fields were abandoned, and cultivated grounds became

woodlands, and universal dismay prevailed. Besides, the provinces were

divided into minute portions and many presidents and prefects lay heavy on

each territory, and almost on every city. There were many stewards and

masters and deputy presidents, before whom very few civil causes came, but

only condemnations and frequent forfeitures, and exactions of numberless

commodities, and I will not say often repeated, but perpetual and

intolerable, wrongs in the exacting of them.