TheSurvivaloftheRomanEmpire

withtheTetrarchyofDiocletian

JoeTylka
November12,2013
AncientRomanHistory
PaperTopic2


WhileGallienuswasgivenovertoluxuriouslivingofeverysort,Respa,Veduc,and
Thuruar,leadersoftheGoths,tookshipandsailedacrossthestraitoftheHellespontto
Asia.Theretheylaidwastemanypopulouscitiesandsetfiretotherenownedtempleof
DianaatEphesus,which,aswesaidbefore,theAmazonsbuiltAftertheirsuccessthe
GothsrecrossedthestraitoftheHellespont,ladenwithbootyandspoil,andreturned
alongthesameroutebywhichtheyhadenteredthelandsofAsia,sackingTroyandIlium
ontheway...AftertheGothshadthusdevastatedAsia,Thracenextfelttheirferocity.1

TheprecedingaccountisofGallienussreign,aRomanemperorrulingduringtheCrisis
oftheThirdcentury,takenfromtheGothichistorian,Jordaness,descriptionoftheterrible
conditionsinwhichthepeopleduringthistimeexperiencedinRome.Nexttoplague,thereason
forthepoorhealthoftheRomanEmpirewasitssheersize.Bythetimetheemperorreceived
wordoftroubleswithintheempiresuchasinvadingarmiesoftheGoths,illness,foodshortages,
orevenrebellion,itwouldbemuchtoolateforevasionoftheproblemsandcrisiswouldfollow.
Theempirehadclearlygrownfartoolargeforanyonemantorule.Diocletian,awiseand
ambitiousman,tookcontrolastheEmperorofRomein284CEandputinplaceatetrarchy
consistingofacoAugustus,
MarcusAureliusValeriusMaximianus,
andcaesarsbeloweach
augustus
FlaviusValeriusConstantiusthecaesarofMaximian
and
GaiusGaleriusValerius
MaximianusthecaesarofDiocletian.2
ThispaperwilldiscusshowtheTetrarchyoftheRoman
Empirebetween293313CEdealtwiththeproblemofruleoveralargeterritoryinorderforthe
empiretosurvive.Thiswasaccomplishedthrougheffectivelyunifyingtheempireunderthe
absolutepoweroftheTetrarchy,implementingnewmilitarystrategies,andcreatingspecific
policiesregardingadministrative/politicalorganization.
EmperorDiocletianknewtheempirehadbecometornapartbytheeconomiccrisisofthe

WilliamStearnsDavis,ed.,ReadingsinAncientHistory:IllustrativeExtractsfromtheSources,2Vols.(Boston:
AllynandBacon,191213),Vol.II:RomeandtheWest,pp.??
2

Lecture16,November5,2013.

time.AfterampledestructionoftheRomanempireduringtheCrisisoftheThirdCentury,the
realmhadachanceatbeingrestoredthroughtheimplementationofabsolutepowertothe
emperor,whichwouldinturnrestoreunityamongthepeople.Tohelpwithhisuphillbattle
againstruleoversuchalargeterritory,Diocletianadoptedatetrarchy
.
3Together,Diocletianand
coAugustus,Maximian,establishedabsolutedominionbydeclaringthemselvesas,Diocletian,
thesonofJupiter,andMaximian,thesonofHercules.4 AsthesonsofGods,thecitizenswould
neverperceiveofkillingtheemperors,foritwouldbesacrilegious.5Thecitizenswouldbe
forcedtorefertothemasdominus,meaninglordormaster,tofurthercementthenotionof
absolutepower.6 Thisironfistedreignwascarrieddowntotheadoptedcaesarsofeachemperor.7
Theauthorityofthenewemperorswasnotonlydisplayedwiththeirnewlyadoptednames,but
alsointheclothingtheyworeandthecustomswithwhichpeopleinvokedintheirpresenceas
seeninthisquotefromAureliusVictor,afourthcenturyRomanhistorian:
Amightymanhe[Diocletian]was,andthefollowingwerecharacteristicsofhis:hewas
thefirsttowearacloakembroideredingoldandtocovershoesofsilkandpurple
decoratedwithagreatnumberofgems.8

Aftergainingundisputedpower,theTetrarchyneededtosavetheempirewhichtheyhad
workedsohardtoestablishdominanceover.Thiswasdonethroughtheimplementationofnew
militarystrategies.Thesizeoftheempirehadcreatedaweakness.Surroundingenemieschose
thisfragiletimeofmonetaryandepidemictroublestoattacktheRomanempire.9Strayingfrom

Boatwright,MaryTaliaferro.
TheRomans:FromVillagetoEmpire
.NewYork:OxfordUP,2012.Print.
Lecture16,November5,2013.
5

Lecture16,November5,2013.
6

Boatwright,MaryTaliaferro.
TheRomans:FromVillagetoEmpire
.NewYork:OxfordUP,2012.Print.
7

Boatwright,MaryTaliaferro.
TheRomans:FromVillagetoEmpire
.NewYork:OxfordUP,2012.Print.
8

Lewis,Naphtali,andMeyerReinhold.
RomanCivilization.
NewYork:ColumbiaUP,1990.Print.
9

Boatwright,MaryTaliaferro.
TheRomans:FromVillagetoEmpire
.NewYork:OxfordUP,2012.Print.
3
4

thetraditionalsingleemperor,theTetrarchyhadtheabilitytobeinmultipleplacesatonce.
AureliusVictor,describes:
Astheburdenofwarsbecameheavier,asortofdivisionoftheEmpirewas
made:allthecountriesbeyondtheGallicAlpswereentrustedtoConstantius
Herculius[Maximian]hadAfricaandItaly[andSpain]Galerius,Illyriaasfar
astheBlackSeaandDiocletianretainedalltherest.10

WithConstantiusandHerculesinthewest,Galeriusintheeast,andDiocletianworking
whereverneeded,eachAugustusandCaesarwasgivenaspecificterritorytoprotect.Thefour
emperorswerenowabletodivideandseetoeachproblemindividuallyaswellasaidtheothers
ifnecessary.Thiswasshownin296withanusurpernamedDomitiusDomitianus.Domitius
seizedmuchofEgypt,agravethreattotheRomanempire.AlthoughGaleriuswasinruleofthe
fareast,hehadbeentiedupwithadisputeinPersia.Diocletianwasabletotraveldownand
crushtherevoltbylate297whileGaleriusremainedathispriorengagement. 11Asafinal
measureforthenewmilitarystrategies,theemperorstiedofflooseends.TheTetrarchywas
awarethatwhenengagedinterritorialdisputes,itwasnotmerelyenoughtowinthebattle,they
mustconquerthethreat.Itwasnotalwaysnecessarytoadoptthenewconqueredterritoryinto
theRomanempire,butratherplaceanewreigningkingoremperorwhomwasfriendlytothe
Romanempireandwasboundbytreatytonotagress.Forexample,in285CE,Diocletian
marchedeastwardtocampaignagainstSarmatians.Uponhisvictory,Diocletianappointedanew
kingofArmeniain287CE,muchmoreacceptingoftheRomanempire.12Thismethodofbuffer
regionpreventedmultifrontalattacksonRome.
Diocletianalsoreformedthegovernmentwithnewspecificpoliciesregarding

Lewis,Naphtali,andMeyerReinhold.
RomanCivilization.
NewYork:ColumbiaUP,1990.Print.

Boatwright,MaryTaliaferro.
TheRomans:FromVillagetoEmpire
.NewYork:OxfordUP,2012.Print.
12

Boatwright,MaryTaliaferro.
TheRomans:FromVillagetoEmpire
.NewYork:OxfordUP,2012.Print.
10
11

administrativeorganizationandpolitical/religiousparticipationtodealwiththeproblemsof
Romeslargeterritory.Diocletianknewthatthefirststepafterbecomingemperorwastostaythe
emperoralongwithsettlingthegovernmentalturmoil.Inordertodoso,heneededtostopthe
quickturnoverofemperorsthatRomeexperiencedforthelast50years.Mostemperorsofthe
thirdcenturywerereferredtoassoldieremperors,becauseoftheirmilitarybackground.Many
beganasrespectedgeneralsputinplaceasemperorssotheirsupportingsubjectscouldreceive
monetarybenefits.13Asaresult,Diocletianremovedgovernorspoweroverthearmytostopthe
provinciallyproclaimedemperors.14Hedidthisbydividinguptheempireinto105provinces
andplacingnewgovernorsincalledpraesides,whomhadbeenstrippedofmilitarypower.15This
isevidentfromadescriptionbyLactantius,anearlyChristianauthor:

...theprovincesalsowerecutintobitsmanygovernorsandmoreminor
officeslaylikeincubiovereachregionandalmostoneverymunicipality,
likewisemanyprocuratorsofrevenues,administrators,anddeputyprefects.16
Withthemanygovernorsandminorofficesnowimplementedovertheseprovinces,more

precisetaxcollectionswerepossible.Diocletianevenchangedthetaxsystemtoaccountfor
regionalvariationsofharvestsandtrade.Theprovinceswithmorefertilesoilorwealthiertrade
werenowtaxedheavierthanthepoorerregions.Changesinthecentralgoverningbodywere
similarlymade.Previously,thegovernmentwasmadeupofonegoverningbody,thesenate,
whichwouldruleovertaxes,prices,judicialaffairs,etc.ItwasnowbrokenupbyDiocletianand
heldaround35,000bureaucratswithspecificgovernmentalofficesandrespectivejobstothose
offices.17OnemajorcomplaintabouttheTetrarchycanbesubjectedtoDiocletianforhis

Lecture16,November5,2013.

Boatwright,MaryTaliaferro.
TheRomans:FromVillagetoEmpire
.NewYork:OxfordUP,2012.Print.
15
Lecture16,November5,2013.
16

Lewis,Naphtali,andMeyerReinhold.
RomanCivilization.
NewYork:ColumbiaUP,1990.Print.
17
Boatwright,MaryTaliaferro.
TheRomans:FromVillagetoEmpire
.NewYork:OxfordUP,2012.Print.
13
14

religiousreformation,thepersecutionofreligiousminorities,mostprominently,Christians.This
persecutionhowever,wasnotmeanttobeadirectattackatthereligiousbeliefsoftheChristians,
merelyanattackontheirbehaviorsinanattempttosolidifytheunityoftheRomanempire.18
TheTetrarchyimplementedbyDiocletianin293CEisahierarchicalmarvel.Thisruleof
fourdealtwithruleoveravastterritorybyunifyingtheempireundertheabsolutepowerofthe
Tetrarchy,implementingnewmilitarystrategies,andthecreationofspecificpoliciesregarding
administrative/politicalorganization.Onceinpower,Diocletiansecuredtheemperorslives
throughgainingabsoluteauthoritywhichinturnunifiedtheempire.Hethenusedthenew
militarystrategiesfoundwithfouremperorstodivideandconquer.Finally,thecreationof
specificpoliciesregardingstrategicorganizationhelpedtopulltheRomangovernmentoutofthe
confusionitwasinbyallowingittoscrutinizesmallmattersandcollectmoreaccuratetaxes
fromthecitizens.ThistetrarchysystemofruleputinplacebyDiocletiandidnotremainafterits
founderssuccession.ItwasacentralgovernmentalmarvelandwithoutittheRomanEmpire
wouldsurelyhavecollapsed.

18

Lecture16,November5,2013.