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It is sometimes said that the emperor Diocletian split the Roman Empire into an eastern and a western half. This is wrong. The empire was never split. The terms Eastern Western Empire and Western Roman Empire have been coined by historians. The Romans did not use them. They only had one term: Roman Empire. Moreover, Diocletian created four main administrative subdivisions (not two) when he created what historians have called the tetrarchy (rule by four). These were the four praetorian prefectures.
In 285 Diocletian appointed the fellow general Maximian as co-emperor. Maximian took overall control of the western part of the Roman Empire, while Diocletian took overall control of the eastern part. Then these two men became senior emperors (Augusti) with the creation of two junior emperors (Caesars) who were subordinates of the Augusti in 293. The empire was subdivided into four praetorian provinces, each headed by one of the tetrarchs. The two Caesars were Galerius and Constantius Chorus. Maximian took charge of Italia et Africa (Italy and north-western Africa) and Constantius took charge of Galliae (Gaul, Britannia and Hispania). Both were in the western part of the empire. Diocletian took charge of Oriens (Thracia, the territories in Asia and Egypt) and Galerius took charge of Illyricum (the Balkan Peninsula except for Thracia, in the southeast, next to modern Turkey). Both were in the eastern part of the empire. Diocletian also created four imperial capitals (or better imperial seats), one for each emperor. Diocletian stressed that the four praetorian prefectures were administrative units and that the empire was indivisible.
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ViviNo Roman emperor ever split the Roman Empire into a western and an eastern half. The Romans, on various occasions had co-emperorship, with one emperor in charge of the east and one in charge of the west. However, this was a co-emperoship over the same empire, not a split of the empire into two.
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What was the difference between the eastern and western empire?
The differences between the Eastern Empire and Western Empire is their languages and foods they eat. The Western Empire spoke Italian. A Eastern spoke Greek.
What was the fate of the Western Roman Empire?
Historians do not have a special name for the western part of the Roman Empire. Sometimes they call it western part of the Roman Empire and sometimes Western Roman Empire. They have a special name for the eastern part of the Roman Empire after the fall of the western part: Byzantine Empire.
What empire continued to flourish after the collapse of the western roman empire?
The eastern half of the Roman empire continued to flourish after the fall of the western half. It is called the Byzantine.The eastern half of the Roman empire continued to flourish after the fall of the western half. It is called the Byzantine.The eastern half of the Roman empire continued to flourish after the fall of the western half. It is called the Byzantine.The eastern half of the Roman empire continued to flourish after the fall of the western half. It is called the Byzantine.The eastern half of the Roman empire continued to flourish after the fall of the western half. It is called the Byzantine.The eastern half of the Roman empire continued to flourish after the fall of the western half. It is called the Byzantine.The eastern half of the Roman empire continued to flourish after the fall of the western half. It is called the Byzantine.The eastern half of the Roman empire continued to flourish after the fall of the western half. It is called the Byzantine.The eastern half of the Roman empire continued to flourish after the fall of the western half. It is called the Byzantine.
Was the eastern or western roman empire larger?
The Eastern Roman empire was much stronger then the Western Roman Empire. The Eastern Roman Empire had more money and soldiers. It also lasted 1000 years longer then the western roman empire
Did the halves of the Roman empire attack each other?
The eastern and western parts of the Roman Empire were two parts of a sole Roman Empire and never attacked each other. They did not attack each other because they were part of the same empire. In fact there ware alternations of periods with co-emperors (with one in charge of the east and one in charge of the west) and periods with a sole emperor for the whole of the empire. In 307 Galerius, the senior emperor in the eastern part, attacked Maxentius, a usurper emperor in Italy. However, this was not an attack of the east on the west. It was an attempt to deal with usurpation. Finding himself in a vulnerable position, Galerius did not engage Maxentius, withdrew from Italy and proclaimed Licinius as senior emperor in the west and Constantine as junior emperor in the west. Maxentius was eventually defeated by Constantine, who, after winning a civil war against Licinius (who had become senior emperor of the eastern part of the empire after the defeat of Maxentius) became the sole emperor of the whole Roman Empire. Theodosius I attacked Magnus Maximus a usurper emperor who took over the provinces of the western part of the Roman Empire except for Italy. Theodosius won. After this the emperor of the western part of the empire, Valentinian II, was found hanging in his room and there was another usurper emperor, Eugenius. Theodosius defeated him and became the sole emperor of the whole of the Roman Empire.
