Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 1: A series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the most prominent personages in History
History
Great Men and Famous Women. Vol. 1: A series of pen and pencil sketches of the lives of more than 200 of the most prominent personages in History
Biography
Diocletian, on assuming the imperial power, found the Empire assailed
by enemies in various quarters--on the Persian frontiers, on the side
of Germany and of Illyricum, and in Britain; besides which a serious
revolt had broken out in Gaul among the rural population, under two
leaders who had assumed the title of emperor. To quell the disturbance
in Gaul, Diocletian sent his old friend Maximianus, a native of
Pannonia, and a brave but rude uncultivated soldier. Maximianus
defeated the Bagaudi, for such was the name the rustic insurgents had
assumed. In the year 286, Diocletian chose Maximianus as his colleague
in the Empire, under the name of Marcus Valerius Maximianus Augustus,
and it is to the credit of both that the latter continued ever after
faithful to Diocletian and willing to follow his advice. Maximianus
was stationed in Gaul and on the German frontier to repel invasion;
Diocletian resided chiefly in the East to watch the Persians, though
he appears to have visited Rome in the early part of his reign. About
287 the revolt of Carausius took place. In the following year
Maximianus defeated the Germans near Treviri, and Diocletian himself
marched against other tribes on the Rhaetian frontier; the year after
he defeated the Sarmatians on the lower Danube. In the same year, 289,
peace was made between Carausius and the two emperors, Carausius being
allowed to retain possession of Britain. In 290 Maximianus and
Diocletian met at Milan to confer together on the state of the Empire,
after which Diocletian returned to Nicomedia. The Persians soon after
again invaded Mesopotamia and threatened Syria; the Quinquegentiani, a
federation of tribes in the Mauritania Caesariensis, revolted; another
revolt under one Achillaeus broke out in Egypt; another in Italy under
a certain Julianus.
Diocletian thought it necessary to increase the number of his
colleagues in order to face the attacks in the various quarters. On
the 1st of March, 292, or 291, according to some chronologists, he
appointed Galerius as Caesar, and presented him to the troops at
Nicomedia. At the same time Maximianus adopted on his part Constantius
called Chlorus. The two Caesars repudiated their respective wives;
Galerius married Valeria, Diocletian's daughter, adding to his name
that of Valerianus; and Constantius married Theodora, daughter of
Maximianus. Galerius was a native of Dacia, and a good soldier, but
violent and cruel; he had been a herdsman in his youth, for which he
has been styled, in derision, Armentarius. The two Caesars remained
subordinate to the two Augusti, though each of the four was entrusted
with the administration of a part of the Empire. Diocletian kept to
himself Asia and Egypt; Maximianus had Italy and Africa; Galerius,
Thrace and Illyricum; and Constantius had Gaul and Spain. But it was
rather an administrative than a political division. At the head of the
edicts of each prince were put the names of all the four, beginning
with that of Diocletian.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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