The Early Middle Ages | Diocletian and the Crises of the Third Century (Lecture 2)

Lecture 2: During the 3rd century, the Roman Empire reeled from a series of military, political, and economic crises. Indeed, it came very close to total collapse. However, an emperor by the name of Diocletian managed to stave off that collapse, at least for a few centuries. In saving the empire, however, Diocletian transformed it greatly, despite his intense conservatism and respect for Roman tradition. Diocletian abandoned the pretense of republicanism maintained by predecessors and ruled in an openly autocratic manner. He also attempted to regiment society to a degree unprecedented in Roman history. These transformations did much to give the Roman Empire its distinctive tone during Late Antiquity.

Suggested Readings:
T. D. Barnes. The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine. Harvard University Press, 1982.
Averil Cameron. The Later Roman Empire, 284–430. Harvard University Press, 1993.

Lecture 3: https://www.bitchute.com/video/efRqAHoD3LpL/