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The Roman Emperor Diocletian came to power in 284 AD. He was an army general with a repressive disdain of his 'subjects.' Diocletian ran his government as a general runs an army, giving orders and expecting them to be carried out. He believed that only severe restrictions on personal freedoms could bring order to the empire. By 301 AD, after the conclusion of conflicts with the Germans and the Sassanids, Diocletian needed a new enemy to justify his tyrannical form of government. At the same time, the Emperor declared the economy to be in crisis and implemented astronomical taxation increases. Amongst the people there surfaced a gradual unrest towards Diocletian's

economic policy. The Emperor needed a new enemy to regain the support of his pseudo-slaves. After the earlier successful persecution of the Manichaeans, Diocletian slowly turned his head in the direction of the Christians, and his thumb was pointing down. This, despite the fact that he had largely ignored them for the past 15 years. Across the empire, Christians made up around ten percent of the population -- their number having doubled in about fifty years. Two kings had been converted: the king of Osroene in north eastern Mesopotamia and the king of Armenia. Christians were serving in Rome's armies, and they were working as civil servants in local government or in lowly positions on the imperial staff. Diocletian could see his scapegoat.

In the autumn of 302 AD Diocletian visited Antioch in Syria for an official engagement. Prior to this of course, there had to take place the customary Pagan sacrifice. But you see this time there was a problem. As the bloodletting ritual began, there came the vocal denouncements of the on looking Christians. Many made cross signs to ward off the evil influence of the sacrifice. Prominent amongst these brave dissenters was a Christian named Romanus. Diocletian fumed. " . . . In the first, while Diocletian was sacrificing in public, the chief interpreter of the victims' organs reported that he could not read the future in them because of the hostile influence of Christians standing around. Diocletian burst into a rage, insisting that all in his court should offer sacrifice, and sent out orders to his army to follow suit." (Ramsey MacMullen, Constantine, p.24).

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intruduced reform

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Q: When diocletian took power in AD 284 what did he do?
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Who split the roman empire into two parts in ad 330?

Constantine split the Roman Empire into the Holy Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire. It should be noted however that the emperor Diocletian (284-305 AD ) made this easier as he was the first to divide the empire into two parts, a western and eastern empire to be ruled separately. The emperors who followed Constantine, Julian and Theodosius I, made permanent the division of the Roman Empire into an eastern and western half.


Believing the roman empire had grown too large fora single ruler diocletian?

Yes he did. He created the tetrarcy (rule by four) whose purpose was to improve the deference of the vast frontiers of the Roman Empire, which were under constant attack. He appointed Maximian as his co-emperor. Maximian was in charge of the western part of the empire and Diocletian took charge of the eastern part. These two men were senior emperors (Augusti). The junior emperors (Caesars) subordinate to the Augusti were appointed. They were responsible for the most troubled frontier areas, the river Rhine in the west and the river Danube in the east.


What was Diocletian best known for?

For his reforms. His most famous action was when he split the Roman Empire in to halves. The West Roman Empire (fell in 476 AD) and the East Roman Empire , later the Byzantine Empire (fell in 1453 AD).


Who split roman empire into east and west?

Emperor Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into two parts, eastern and western, in A.D. 284. The eastern empire was controlled by Emperor Diocletian and the western empire by Emperor Maximian but Diocletian retained absolute power over both halves. Emperor Constantine built a new capital, Constantinople, where Byzantium used to be, in the east.-----During the years after Diocletian, the Roman Empire was reunited and redivided on various occasions. Constantine reunited it, and then divided it among his sons. The final division was in 395 AD, when Emperor Theodosius I died, leaving it to his sons Arcadius and Honorius.It is unclear who was the first to divide the Roman empire in half i.e. the western part and the eastern part.( The Romans themselves never adhered to this thinking.) This "halfing" of the empire is just a device used by historians to clarify what part of the vast Roman empire they were discussing or comparing.


How many emperors ruled the roman empire between 235 and 284 AD?

20-25, it meant a new emperor every 2-3 years. All of them had been assassinated or died in a battle but two.

Related questions

When Diocletian took power in AD.. 284 he did what?

intruduced reform


Which emperor came to power in ad 284?

Diocletian


When did emperor Diocletian rule?

284 AD


Who was the emperor of Rome in 324 AD?

Constantine.


Diocletian tried to restore order to the empire during his reign from AD 284?

305


Who was the Roman Emperor in AD 284?

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What is the dioletianic persecution?

You may mean the Diocletianic persecution. If so, it is the persecution of Christians by the Roman Emperor Diocletian (ruled from 284 to 305 AD).


What is the Diocletian?

Diocletian was a Roman emperor who ruled from 286 to 311 AD.


What describes the government of diocletian?

One of the great leaders of Ancient Rome, Diocletian served as Emperor in the years 284 to 305 AD (or, CE). While engaging in numerous social, political, and military reforms during his reign, the government of Rome remained an absolutist one, where final power rested in the hands of the supreme emperor (or, as Diocletian eventually arranged, co-emperors) at the top of the complex bureaucratic and legal administration that enforced imperial policies.


What was the leading clan that took power of Japan around 400 AD?

The Yamamoto clan took power in 400 AD.


When was the roman empire invaded?

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Who was the roman general who became emperor in AD 284 established the tetrarchy?

The Roman general who became emperor in AD 284 and established the tetrarchy was Diocletian. He divided the empire into four regions, each with its own ruler, to efficiently govern the vast territory. This system aimed to stabilize the political and military situation of the Roman Empire during a time of instability and external threats.