Description
House of Emirates is thrilled to offer its elite investors and luxury collectors this majestic Roman treasure, a coin from the era of the Roman Emperor Diocletian.
Date: 284-305 AD
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 8.64 g
In excellent condition.
Diocletian (244–311 AD) was a Roman emperor known for his significant impact on the late Roman Empire. Born as Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus, he ruled from 284 to 305 AD and implemented wide-ranging reforms to stabilize the empire during a period of crisis. His reign marked the beginning of the Dominate, a more autocratic phase of Roman governance.
Key Achievements:
- Division of the Empire:
- Diocletian divided the Roman Empire into two parts: the Eastern and Western Empires.
- He established the Tetrarchy (Rule of Four), where two senior emperors (Augusti) and two junior emperors (Caesares) governed different regions. This was meant to ensure better administration and defense.
- Economic and Administrative Reforms:
- Introduced the Edict on Maximum Prices (301 AD) to combat inflation, setting price caps on goods and wages.
- Reorganized provincial administration, creating smaller provinces for more efficient governance.
- Military Strengthening:
- Increased the size of the Roman army and fortified the frontiers to defend against external threats.
- Religious Persecution:
- Known for the Diocletianic Persecution (or Great Persecution), he targeted Christians to reinforce traditional Roman religious practices. This was the last and most severe persecution of Christians in the Roman Empire.
- Abdication:
- In a rare move for a Roman emperor, Diocletian voluntarily abdicated in 305 AD, retiring to his palace in Split (modern-day Croatia). His retirement set a precedent for the peaceful transfer of power.
Legacy:
Diocletian’s reforms temporarily stabilized the empire, though the Tetrarchy system eventually failed. His administrative strategies influenced later Byzantine governance. His palace in Split became the core of the modern city and remains a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Diocletian is remembered as a ruler who transformed the empire during a turbulent period, laying groundwork for future stability, especially in the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire.
