36-Third Century Chaos,Diocletian (Updated)[1]

7/30/2019 36-Third Century Chaos,Diocletian (Updated)[1]

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– 36. Third Century Chaos; Diocletian & the New Empire (updated)

Third Century Chaos

Diocletian and the New Empire(updated)

“The murder of Severus Alexander in A.D. 235ushered in fifty years of unprecedented crisis . . .The frontiers were under repeated attack. The

office of emperor became a political football tossedback and forth.” W-H-Y, 384

12/10/2007 36. Third Century Chaos; Diocletian & the New Empire (updated) 2

Third Century Chaos A.D. 235–284: 50 years, 18 emperors!

Maximinus Thrax [A.D. 235-238]

Derided as a common peasant, actually a strong soldiers’ emperor

Doubled soldiers’ pay, extracted ever higher taxes

Gordian I and Gordian II [A.D. 238]

Maximinus’ demands caused a revolt among African landlords,proconsul of Africa and his son declared emperors

Never came to, or ruled from, Rome

Governor of Numidia put them down

Pupienus and Balbinus [A.D. 238]

Senate appoints co-emperors

Italy rallies, Maximinus killed by his own troops when he invades Italy Praetorians assassinate Pupienus and Balbinus

Gordian III [A.D. 238–244]

The praetorian prefect, Philip the Arab, eventually kills Gordian andbecomes emperor himself [A.D. 244–249],



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Decius [A.D. 249–251]

Philip had sent him to put down a revolt of the Danubelegions

After successfully restoring order, he drove the invadingGoths back across the Danube His troops proclaimed him emperor

After defeating Philip the Arab, he spent most of his reignagain fighting the Goths Finally killed in a disastrous battle near the Black Sea

Most infamous for launching the first systematic persecution of Christians in the empire . . .


Valerianus, [A.D. 253-260] Valerian, Decius’ censor, the only

responsible official left

Also the last of the Republican nobility

Senate liked

Disciplined the army, but in vain

All borders attacked: Franks, Goths,Persians

Plague ravishes troops and civilians alike

The Persian triumph

The old Parthian Empire was replaced bya native Persian dynasty, the Sassanids

Valerian himself is captured!

Persians overrun Syria and Asia

Minor Expelled only by the quick action of a

Roman general and the surprise attack ofOdenathus, a desert sheik from Palmyra

The surrender of the emperor Valerian to the Persian king Shapur, rock relief, AD 260, in the province of Fars, Iran.



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The Aftermath to Valerian

Valerian’s son, the Augustus Gallienus [A.D. 253–268], restoresorder on the northern frontiers

Drove the Alemanni and the Franks out of Gaul and the Rhineland

Marcomanni broke through Danube frontier and pushed into Italy

Time spent by Gallienus repelling the Marcomanni led the Rhine legions

to rebel, proclaiming Postumus as emperor to face the Franks

Reforms – and desperate actions – of Gallienus

All legions commanded by equestrians

Helped reduce possibility of senatorial usurpers

Military made more mobile, new emphasis on cavalry

Forward bases more important than Rome

Extremities left to local dynasties so that central empire could be

preserved Odenathus virtually independent in East


“Thirty Tyrants” Well, at least nine . . .

Local areas feel neglected and unprotected

Choose their own Augusti

The emperor needed on the border but he cannot be on all ofthem!

Augustus title

Had been used since M. Aurelius to guarantee successor

Needed to command?

Postumus’ “Gallic Empire”

Zenobia, widow of Palmyra’s Odenathus, overruns the East,including Egypt and much of Asia Minor



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A Divided Empire


Aurelian, [A.D. 270–275] Tough, skillful general

Nicknamed “hand on steel”(Manus ad Ferrum )

Retired from Dacia, stabilized Danubefrontier against Goths

Built wall around Rome

Even central Italy no longer safe!

Defeated Postumus and hissuccessors

Defeated Zenobia, Palmyra’s queen

Autocracy and Monotheism

Solar theology focused on Sol Invictus

“Sunday” a feriae Murdered



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“Ephemeral” Emperors

[Tacitus, 275–276] [Floridanus, 276]

[Probus, 276–282]

[Carus, 282–283]

[Carinus, 283–285]

[Numerianus, 283–284]

Murdered, like many others, by his praetorian prefect (also hisfather-in-law)

But the troops instead turned to a Danubian officer named Diocles

He became emperor as C. Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus(Diocletian, A.D. 284–305)


Diocletian and the Tetrarchy, A.D. 293 Diocletian devised a new way for commanding the army (and running

the empire): the Tetrarchy

Purposes

Strengthen imperial control of the army

Forestall would-be emperors and usurpers

Provide for orderly succession

Fourfold Division

Two Augusti , Diocletian (Iovius) and Maximian (Herculius)

Two Caesares , Diocletian selects Galerius and Maximian choses

Constantius

Each Caesar adopted as heir and marries an Augustus’ daughter Moving court

Forward capitals as bases: Constantius (Trier/London); Maximian

(Milan); Galerius (Sofia); Diocletian (Nicomedia)





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Military Reforms

Increased the size of the Roman military Added some 100,000 troops for a total of about 500,000

However, these were spread out, often in small detachments

Limitanei , frontier garrisons

Stationed in strongly constructed forts and guard posts both on

frontiers and along roads and supply routes

Commanded by a dux (duke) or comes (count)

Comitatenses palatini or “Palatine Companions”

Highly mobile yet heavily armored field armies

Always commanded by an emperor

Even more money needed to support the military

Earlier emperors had repeatedly increased their pay!


Economic and Social Reforms Problems

Declining tax base Horrible inflation Peasants flee estates

Municipal aristocracy avoid offices (and their liturgies), citiesdecline

Diocletian’s Edict on Prices Government sets wages and prices, death penalty in most cases

of noncompliance

On the way to Medieval manorialism Taxes paid in kind

Coloni (free tenants) tied to land, become effectively serfs Occupations made hereditary



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Diocletian’s later years Diocletian does not trust Maximian’s son, Maxentius

No one’s sons get advanced

Diocletian’s A.D. 301 persecution of the Christians

Probably at Galerius Caesar’s instigation

Aimed particularly at Christians in the imperial bureaucracy andarmy

Clergy targeted, forced to surrender holy books and implements

A.D. 303, Diocletian visits Rome for the first time to celebratehis Vicennalia (20 year anniversary of rule)

Retires in A.D. 305 to a specially prepared palace in Split,Dalmatia

Forces Maximian to abdicate as well

Tetrarchy succession plan goes into effect . . .

Documents

36-Third Century Chaos,Diocletian (Updated)[1]