·DIOCLETIAN· AND THE ROMAN RECOVERY To the Memory of Arthur Peachey and Jim Miller · DIOCLETIAN · AND THE ROMAN RECOVERY STEPHEN WILLIAMS NEW YORK LONDON First published in 1985 in the United States of America by Methuen, Inc. First published 1985 in Great Britain by Batsford. First published in paperback 1997 This paperback edition published 2000 by Routledge 11 New Fetter Lane, London, EC4P 4EE Simultaneously published in the USA and Canada by Routledge 29 West 35th Street, New York, NY 10001 Routledge is an imprint of the Taylor and Francis Group © 1985 Stephen Williams Printed and bound in Great Britain by TJ International Ltd, Padstow, Cornwall. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reprinted or reproduced or utilised in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers British Library Cataloguing in Publication Data A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data Williams, Stephen, 1942- Diocletian and the Roman Recovery I Stephen Williams. p. em. Originally published: New York: Methuen, 1985. Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 0-415-91827-8 (pbk) 1. Diocletian, Emperor ofRome, 245-313. 2. Rome-History-Diocletian, 284-305. 3. Rome-History-Constantines, 306-363. I. Title. DG313.W54 1996 937' .08-dc20 96-30213 CIP ISBN 0-415-91827-8 ·CONTENTS· Prologue PART ONE -CRISIS I The Third-Century Collapse z Virtus Illyrici PART TWO -EMERGENCE 39 3 Jove and Hercules 4 I 4 The Tetrarchy 6I j Victory and Consolidation-Britain, Africa, the Danube 7I 6 Victory and Consolidation-Egypt and Persia 78 PART THREE-THE NEW ORDER 89 7 Defence in Depth 9 I 8 The Recasting of Government Ioz 9 Finance, Taxation, Inflation I I j IO A Command Economy 126 I I The New Order I40 PART FOUR-TRIUMPHS AND DEFEATS I j I I z The Gods are Alive I j 3 13 Politeia Christi I63 I4 The Great Persecution I73 I j Abortive Renewal I86 PART FIVE-AFTERMATH ZOI I6 Constantine's Completion zo3 I7 In the Long Run zi I APPENDIX I Diocletian's Provincial Reorganisation zz I II Diocletian's Edict on Maximum Prices ZZ4 III Roman Emperors from Mar£:us Aurelius to Theodosius zz8 IV Biographical Notes z3o BIBLIOGRAPHY Z 3 I REFERENCES 236 INDEX Zj9 ·ILLUSTRATIONS· PLATES (between pages ll2 and llJ) I Imperial bust of Diocletian, found at Nicomedia 2 Porphyry bust of Diocletian 3 Consular gold medallion of Diocletian and Maximian (observe and reverse) 4 Porphyry statue of the Tetrarchy, St Mark's Square, Venice ' Coin portrait of Carausius 6 Coin portrait of Allectus 7 The Arras medallion (obverse and reverse) 8 Panels from the Triumphal Arch of Galerius, Salonica 9 Coin portrait of Galerius I o Portchester Castle I I Fragment of the Edict on Maximum Prices I 2 Peristyle of Diocletian's Palace at Split I 3 The Porta Nigra at Trier I4 Silver missorium of the Catholic Emperor Theodosius LINE ILLUSTRATIONS I Main invasion routes between c. 250 and 285 21 2 The Strata Diocletiana 9' 3 Change in fortress architecture between the second century and the end of the third century Ioo 4 Diocletian's reorganised Empire with its 12 Dioceses Io6 6 ·ACI<NOWLEDGEMENTS· I am especially grateful to Professor Robert Browning for his kind help and encouragement, and to Professor Fergus Millar for his generous and indispensable guidance at several stages of this book, on what must often have seemed quite naive questions. Whatever errors and faults remain despite his advice, are entirely my own. I am indebted too to Professor Tony Honore for his ready help in the area of Roman Law and Diocletian's contribution to its codification. Thanks are also due to Professor John Wilkes, and particularly to Professor Tomislav Marasovic of Split Urban Planning Institute, and Dr Branko Kirigin of Split Archaeological Museum, who were both very welcoming on our visit to the city and palace. The presence of Diocletian hovers over Split; and I would be most happy to think that this book might make him a little better known to some of the many visitors there. My deep thanks to Patricia Morgan, who read and commented on several drafts of the chapters and gave unstinting support in every other way. For their moral encouragement and other help, Herbert Jarmany and Charles Langley have my warm appreciation. I also thank Professor Ramsay MacMullen for permission to quote from his excellent study of this period, and for facilitating my use of the Worcester bust photo. I do indeed agree with him that Diocletian was one of that rare species in imperial history, an Emperor with ideas, and I hope I have sustained that claim. Stephen Wiiliams 7 Page Intentionally Left Blank