Diocletian

Diocletian was Roman emperor from AD 284 to 305 and one of the most important reformers of the later empire. He reorganised administration, taxation and military command, created the Tetrarchy, and launched the last major imperial persecution of Christians.

In Simon Turney’s Sons of Rome, Diocletian creates the Tetrarchy, dividing imperial authority among four rulers in an attempt to end decades of invasion, usurpation and civil war. In Simon Turney’s Masters of Rome, the abdication of Diocletian has failed to secure a peaceful succession, and Constantine and Maxentius each establish authority in different parts of the western empire. Other novels featuring Diocletian include John Broughton’s The Saxon Shore and Steven Saylor’s Dominus.

In non-fiction, Diocletian is discussed in Nick Holmes’s The Roman Revolution. In Nick Holmes’s The Roman Revolution, the second half follows Diocletian and Constantine as they reorganised taxation, administration and military command and transformed the basis of imperial rule.