DIOCLETIAN

born AD 245 , Salonae?, Dalmatia [now Solin, Croatia] died 316, Salonae Latin in full Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, original name Diocles Roman emperor (284305), who restored efficient government to the empire after the near anarchy of the 3rd century. His reorganization of the fiscal, administrative, and military machinery of the empire laid the foundation for the Byzantine Empire in the East and temporarily shored up the decaying empire in the West. His reign is also noted for the last great persecution of the Christians. Additional reading Ancient Latin sources. Panegyrici latini; Arnobius, Adversus nationes; Lactantius, De mortibus persecutorum; Eusebius, Historia ecclesiastica; Aurelius Victor, Caesares, 3940. Modern works W. Ensslin, Valerius Diocletianus, in Pauly-Wissowa Real-Encyclopdie, 2nd series, vol. 14 (1948), a general survey of Diocletian's career; W. Seston, Diocltien et la ttrarchie (1946); G. Costa, Diocletianus, in E. de Ruggiero, Dizionario epigrafico, vol. 2 (1922); E. Faure, tude de la capitation de Diocltien d'aprs le Pangyrique VIII, vol. 4 of tudes de droit romain (1961), and technical discussion; The Cambridge Ancient History, vol. 12 (1939), with topical bibliography.