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As the third century was a time of crisis in the ancient world, Emperor Diocletian is credited with bringing stability to the Roman Empire. Regrettably, Diocletian is also remembered for his merciless persecution of Christians. Born in Dalmatia to parents of humble means, Diocletian’s rise to prominence began with his distinguished military career. Serving as a cavalry commander under Emperor Carus, Diocletian was hailed as the new emperor when Carus and his son Numerian were killed on the battlefield. Carinus, Carus’s surviving son, contested Diocletian’s right to rule, but Diocletian retained his title by defeating Carinus’s army in the Battle of the Margus. Diocletian held the title Emperor of Rome from AD 284 to 305.
A skilled politician who understood the value of delegating authority, Diocletian selected Maximian, a military leader, to serve as co-emperor. Diocletian ruled the Eastern Empire while Maximian took charge of the Western Empire. Later, Diocletian tapped Galerius and Constantius to serve as junior emperors, granting them the title Caesar, thus forming a tetrarchy, a “rule of four,” by which each would govern one quarter of the vast Roman Empire. During Diocletian’s twenty-one-year reign, he secured the empire’s borders and squelched threats to Rome’s security.
The Diocletianic Persecution, also called the Great Persecution (AD 303—312), was Rome’s longest and bloodiest persecution of Christians. During this nine-year reign of terror, Christians were hunted, stripped of their rights, brutalized, and killed. Some historians believe that early in his rule, Diocletian was tolerant of Christians and that perhaps the tetrarch Galerius shared responsibility for the bloodbath. Nonetheless, Christians were mercilessly targeted for the following reasons:
• Christianity’s monotheistic beliefs were an affront to Rome’s pantheon of deities.
• ChrChristianity was viewed as an unfamiliar foreign cult that disrupted the empire. In the interest of unity, Diocletian thought it essential for all Roman citizens to embrace a unified faith.
• Permitting Christianity officially would provoke the anger of the Roman gods.
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