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Average customer rating:

To understand Constantine, you must read about Diocletian.
LOTS of Information
The Man From The Balkans
Easy to read
A biased, but extremely worthwhile, view of Diocletian

Diocletian and the Roman Recovery
Stephen Williams
Manufacturer: Methuen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Rome | Ancient | History | Subjects | Books

General | Europe | History | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0416011519

Book Description

Stephen Williams's book is the first biography of Diocletian to appear in English. It combines the historical narrative of his remarkable reign and those of his fellow-emperors, with a chapter-by-chapter study of each of the great problems he faced, the interlocking solutions he evolved to meet them, and the longer term results. It is both a portrait of one of Rome's greatest and most original rulers, and a political study in the emergence of Absolutism. Also includes four maps.

Customer Reviews:

To understand Constantine, you must read about Diocletian........2006-03-29

I bought this book as an afterthought. I ordered the book on Septimius Severus,and something prompted me to get this one too. I must say, after trying to grind through the book on Severus, I picked this one up and flew right through it. It is well written, and easy to follow. It explains many questions I had about the later days of the Empire. I have since given it to my well read mother, and she enjoyed it as well. If you want to understand Constanine, and the start of the Roman Catholic Church, you must read about Diocletian.
Diocletian was an amazing man. He was able to stabilize the Empire under the utmost strain. He really shouldnt have been successful, but through force of character, he was.
He reminded me of George C. Marshall of all people. Strong, solid, wise and very well respected by all around him. A man so serious and mature, that all those around him stopped and listened. Only such a man could have done what he did.
It also explains the persecution of Christians under his watch. A dark side of his rule. A very enjoyable book.

LOTS of Information.......2003-05-13

This is a well-written, fact-filled book that should be considered a must-read to any serious student of the Late Roman Empire. Diocletian has been given scant attention by Classical scholars but his stabilization of the Empire was vital for two reasons: it preserved the entire Empire for nearly 170 years after his retirement and laid the foundations for the Eastern Empire that survived until 1453 c.e.

There is also great attention given to Diocletian's separation of himself as Emperor from the Roman Army and Roman politicians. Williams lucidly points out this is the beginning of Western Civilization's "Divine Right of Kings," and the foundation of Medieval kingship. Diocletian established this separation order to secure his personal safety.

Diocletian's retirement is also given considerable attention. His retirement palace at Split is discussed in some detail. Also, the attempt of Galerius and Maximian to drag him back into politics, which he completely refused. Finally, the rather sad depiction of him as a marginalized relic who had to ask old army friends for favors in order to help secure temporary safety for his family (who were eventually murdered).

This is a great book but its great detail may overwhelm the arm-chair historian. Williams deserves many cudos for his work in bringing about the first English biography of Diocletian in some time.

The Man From The Balkans.......2001-12-22

As Williams recalls, the Third Century was almost an utter debacle for Rome. The frontiers disintegrated, the coinage collapsed and the political system imploded. Diocletian's reign (284-310) mitigated the disaster. His reforms completely saved the East, and gave the West another good 100 years. He broke the cycle of assassination-civil war-assassination that had marred the principate; he created a "Tetrachy" of four mutually dependent co-emperors and he refashioned the imperial defense structure. Borders were restored, and although his attempts at price control failed, his economic reforms were broadly successful. He is widely thought to have had the luckiest death of any Roman Emperor, dying in retirement at his cabbage farm. If you want to know about Diocletian, his life and times, you need go no further than William's masterful account.

Easy to read.......2001-08-01

Like Williams' Theodosian work, this book is an easy read that more or less sums up what previous scholarship without new analysis. It's a good introduction to the period but not on par with biographies of other emperors such as Constantine and Julian.

A biased, but extremely worthwhile, view of Diocletian.......2001-04-11

I enjoyed this book. I came away from it with a radically new appreciation of Diocletian's contributions to preserving the Roman empire. The structural reforms set in motion by this soldier emporer laid the foundations not only for an empire that continued until the fall of Constantinople, but for a church whose triumph absolutely depended on them. The book left me wondering who the brains behind these important constitutional, governmental, economic and military reforms were. Obviously Diocletian must be credited with approving these innovations, and for seeing them solidly put in place. However, I doubt if the emperor, busy with beating back enemies on all frontiers, is solely responsible for such complex and far reaching reforms. Matthews ignores this aspect of Diocletian's reforms. I was turned off by the author's seeming flights of fancy regarding the inmost thoughts and motives of his hero. Matthews would have served this reviewer better by keeping to the facts and by extrapoliting from them without excessive creativity. This book is well written and researched. It is not an academic exercise, but a stimulating analysis of a man maligned by christians ever since, but to whom they owe the earthly glory of their church.

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