12/14/2014 EBSCOhost Record: 1 Title: Diocletian. Source: Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition. Q1 2014, p1­1. 1p. Document Type: Biography Abstract: Diocletian (Caius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus) (dī′әklē′shәn), 245–313, Roman emperor (284–305), b. near Salona, Dalmatia (the modern Split, Croatia). Of humble birth, he obtained high military command under Probus and Aurelian and fought under Carus in Persia. The army proclaimed him emperor after the death of Numerian, and he became sole ruler when Carinus, joint emperor with Numerian, was murdered by his own officers. In order to repel the Germans he appointed Maximian augustus (286) and Constantius I and Galerius caesars (293). The four rulers had their respective capitals at Nicomedia, Mediolanum (modern Milan), Treveri (modern Trier), and Sirmium. In Diocletian's reign Britain was restored (296) to the empire, the Persians were subjugated (298), and the Marcomanni were expelled from the empire. Diocletian was the first to divide the empire formally and to set up a genuine autocracy with no theoretical checks. The Roman senate became a municipal council and all vestiges of Republican institutions disappeared. His economic reforms included an attempt to restore the gold standard and the Edict of Diocletian (301), an economic measure to regulate prices and wages. Its effects, however, proved ruinous to agriculture and the markets. The persecution of the Christians in the latter part of his reign was a course to which he had been instigated by Galerius. Diocletian abdicated (305), and Maximian resigned at the same time. Diocletian retired to his castle at Salona, from which he saw his system fail as his successors began to quarrel among themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER] Copyright of Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition is the property of Columbia University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.) Lexile: 1220 http://mail2.trinitysem.edu:2080/ehost/delivery?sid=60860a37­2672­43f1­9330­580e362bd506%40sessionmgr115&vid=108&hid=109&ReturnUrl=http%3a%2f%… 1/2 12/14/2014 EBSCOhost Full Text Word Count: 250 ISBN: 9780787650155 Accession Number: 39002899 Database: MasterFILE Premier Diocletian Diocletian (Caius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus) (dī′әklē′shәn), 245–313, Roman emperor (284–305), b. near Salona, Dalmatia (the modern Split, Croatia). Of humble birth, he obtained high military command under Probus and Aurelian and fought under Carus in Persia. The army proclaimed him emperor after the death of Numerian, and he became sole ruler when Carinus, joint emperor with Numerian, was murdered by his own officers. In order to repel the Germans he appointed Maximian augustus (286) and Constantius I and Galerius caesars (293). The four rulers had their respective capitals at Nicomedia, Mediolanum (modern Milan), Treveri (modern Trier), and Sirmium. In Diocletian's reign Britain was restored (296) to the empire, the Persians were subjugated (298), and the Marcomanni were expelled from the empire. Diocletian was the first to divide the empire formally and to set up a genuine autocracy with no theoretical checks. The Roman senate became a municipal council and all vestiges of Republican institutions disappeared. His economic reforms included an attempt to restore the gold standard and the Edict of Diocletian (301), an economic measure to regulate prices and wages. Its effects, however, proved ruinous to agriculture and the markets. The persecution of the Christians in the latter part of his reign was a course to which he had been instigated by Galerius. Diocletian abdicated (305), and Maximian resigned at the same time. Diocletian retired to his castle at Salona, from which he saw his system fail as his successors began to quarrel among themselves. Copyright of Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th Edition is the property of Columbia University Press and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. http://mail2.trinitysem.edu:2080/ehost/delivery?sid=60860a37­2672­43f1­9330­580e362bd506%40sessionmgr115&vid=108&hid=109&ReturnUrl=http%3a%2f%… 2/2