Galerius And The Will Of Diocletian

Drawing from a variety of sources - literary, visual, archaeological; papyri, inscriptions and coins – the author studies the nature of Diocletian’s imperial strategy, his wars, his religious views and his abdication. The author also examines Galerius’ endeavour to take control of Diocletian’s empire, his failures and successes, against the backdrop of Constantine’s remorseless drive to power. The first comprehensive study of the Emperor Galerius, this book offers an innovative analysis of his reign as both Caesar and Augustus, using his changing relationship with Diocletian as the principal key to unlock the complex imperial politics of the period.

Stephen Williams's book is the first biography of Diocletian to appear in English. It combines the historical narrative of his remarkable reign and those of his fellow-emperors, with a chapter-by-chapter study of each of the great problems he faced, the interlocking solutions he evolved to meet them, and the longer term results. It is both a portrait of one of Rome's greatest and most original rulers, and a political study in the emergence of Absolutism. Also includes four maps.

Glaerius Maximianus, a member of Diocletian's Tetrarchy, typified the uncultured and military-oriented Emperors who issued from Illyria during the late third and early fourth centuries A.D. These rulers arrested the continual barbarian incusions which threatened the destruction of the Empire. They, nevertheless, received scant acknowledgement for their accomplishments, both in antiquity and the present. Because of the scarcity of information available few studies of the individual emperors exist, although many are needed. Like the other Illyrian Emperors, Galerius slowly rose to power through the ranks of the army. He owed Diocletian a great debt of gratitude for his elevation to the Caesarship and always remained faithful to him and his program for restoring the organization and unification of the Roman world. An examination of Galerius' career indicates that his greatest attribute was definitely an outstanding military ability. Assigned to defend the vital Danubian lands, Galerius in a series of wars completely suppressed the barbarian invasions. His defeat of the great Persian nation in 298 ranks as the greatest military victory achieved during the Tetrarchic period. Despite his many commendable qualities, certain misconceptions surround Galerius' life. The ancient writers, in particular the Christians, inaccurately describe him as a savage, bloodthirsty barbarian. The pagan authors emphasize his lack of education, while the Christian historians stress his role in the infamous persecution of that sect between 303 and 311. Their exaggerated and fictitious accounts of Galerius, which many modern historians accept, do him a grave injustice. Galerius, an advocate of the Tetrarchic system, always occupied a secondary position to his Augustus. Upon his accession to the dominant post in the Empire, Galerius attempted to continue the policies of Diocletian, including his governmental arrangement and the oppression of the Christians. Unfortunately Galerius proved unable to hold in check the other ambitious monarchs, and a series of civil wars destroyed the Tetrarchy. The persecution also failed, and just prior to his death Galerius reluctantly terminated the suppression of the Christians with an edict which for the first time granted toleration to that sect. All the objectives to which Galerius had dedicated his life ended in frustration and failure.

Reprint of the original, first published in 1876.

The third century AD was one of unprecedented crisis and chaos for the Roman Empire. Nightmares both internal and external threatened to spell the end of Rome’s thousand-year history. Diocletian was born either a slave or a freedman, and he grew up to become the saviour of Rome in her hour of crisis, a powerful military and political leader who transformed the Roman Empire from a hotbed of unceasing strife and turmoil into a renewed, restored, revivified and stable polity. His more than twenty years of power were marked by the ill-fated Great Persecution of the Christians, an undertaking that would prove to be one of the less successful initiatives of his reign, even as in its own way it helped to pave the way for the coming of an equally famous, successful emperor in the person of Constantine the Great. The present study seeks to provide an introduction to the life and times of Diocletian for the general reader, offering a balanced portrait of an immensely talented man in a time of trial and tumult, an accomplished emperor who knew when it was time to retire to his gardens.

The writings of this author are, together with those of Eusebius, the principal sources for the period of the great persecution of Diocletian and for the first years of the peace of the Church after the Edict of Milan.

Chronicles the major events that took place between the accession of Diocletian and the death of Constantine and discusses the people, places, and issues that influenced society during that time.