Study Document
Roman Empire When Diocletian Became the Emperor Term Paper
Pages:1 (423 words)
Sources:1+
Subject:History
Topic:Roman Empire
Document Type:Term Paper
Document:#80975603
Roman Empire
When Diocletian became the emperor of Rome in 284 AD, the Roman Empire was beset with enormous military and social problems and was on the verge of collapse. Complete anarchy prevailed in the Roman army which was no longer controllable under a single command and it was common practice for a succession of generals to declare themselves as emperor. In the fifty years before Diocletian came to power, a similar number of emperors and pretenders to the throne had come and gone, only one of them dying of natural causes. As a result, civil wars and unrest erupted throughout the empire. Roving armies seized whatever goods and food supplies they could find in the countryside and cities while the imperial tax collectors made increasingly harsh demands on the farmers to generate funds for the large armies and a bloated bureaucracy. When the farmers could no longer afford to pay the oppressive taxes they abandoned the lands. The resulting food shortages and poverty threatened the very fabric of the Roman society.
It is debatable whether the Roman Empire (in the west) ultimately "fell from within" or was "overwhelmed from the outside." In my opinion the internal weakness of the Empire was the major reason for its fall. However, outside pressures…
Sample Source(s) Used
References
Mathisen, Ralph W. (1996). "Diocletian (284-305 A.D.)." An Online Encyclopedia of Roman Emperors. [Accessed on October 9, 2004]
http://www.roman-emperors.org/dioclet.htm
Turnbull, Percival. "Roman Empire." Microsoft Encarta Online. [Accessed on October 9, 2004]
http://uk.encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761551900_2/Roman_Empire.html
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