Diocletian: From Emperor to Cabbage Farmer

He rose from poverty to greatness, but he also had the reputation of being one of the worst persecutors of Christianity ever known. In twenty years of ruling the Roman Empire, he brought both reform and caused ruin. The man and his actions seemed to always have two sides, good and bad. History remembers him as both.

Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, know early in his life as Diocles, was born into a poor family in 240 AD, in what is today the country of Yugoslavia. But Diocles didn't let his low birth rank prevent him from becoming one of the most important, early emperors of the Byzantium age. He changed the pattern of financial, government, and military powers and is credited with great reforms within the Byzantine Empire.

As an adult, Diocles joined the military and worked his way up the ranks, rising from the lowest soldier to that of military commander by the time he reached his 30's. By the time he reached his early 40's, Diocles became a commander of the imperial bodyguard, whose duty it was to protect the life of the emperor and the royal family. It is rumored that he had something to do with the death of both the men he was sworn to protect, Carus and Numerian.

Diocles became Emperor in 284 AD. From then on, he was called Diocletian. Perhaps to keep the peace among earlier followers of both Carus and Numerian, Diocletian allowed most of the government officials who already were in office to stay. The following year, Diocletian gave his friend, Maximum, control over the western provinces and appointed him a dictator. Several months later, Diocletian gave Maximian even more power, but Diocletian was still the top ruler and could veto anything Maximian did, if he wanted to.