What do you think?
Rate this book
Diocletian and the Roman Recovery
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.
264 pages, Paperback
First published January 31, 1985
12 people are currently reading
308 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews
February 3, 2024
This was an amazing book on the innovative reformer and emperor, Diocletian. Reigning after the chaotic and calamitous Crisis of the Third Century, Diocletian's tasks were to maintain the state and to reform the empire to make it adapt to the changing times.
As the son of a former slave, Diocletian had humble origins and was raised in the ranks of the Roman army like many other emperors before him. What made Diocletian so special and different compared to other emperors, was his ability to look at the future and to make huge reforms to make sure that the empire would survive. He restructured the complete administrative arrangement of the empire, while also totally changing its defensive strategy and the composition of the army. He pushed several fiscal and economic reforms too, some of which were successful while others weren't. However, what is probably Diocletian's most famous reform was the Tetrarchy. This saw the empire 'divided' into four parts ruled by two senior and two junior emperors. It looked great on paper, especially if you read about the problems of emperors such as Aurelian or Probus, who couldn't be everywhere at once. As a first, Diocletian also decided to retire instead of staying in power until his death. It soon became clear though, that several of his reforms. including the Tetrarchy, failed as soon as he left. As his successors fought amongst themselves, asking Diocletian for his help, he famously replied that he enjoyed tending to his cabbage farm and that he had no interest in becoming emperor again.
Diocletian's many reforms can be extremely boring to read about, especially his fiscal and economic reforms can be very dry. This, however, is totally not the case in this book! Williams is a great writer, who miraculously manages to make chapters on Roman fiscal reforms interesting and engaging. I must admit that I was afraid of this book at first and expected it to be very dry and heavy, but this was not true at all, and I can truly say that I really enjoyed it. The rest of Diocletian's reign and those of his imperial colleagues are very well explained and summarised. Though Williams deserves the most credit for his explanations of Diocletian's reforms. The only thing I did not like about this book was the last chapter, which summarised most of the events after Constantine until the fall of the Western Roman Empire, this seemed a bit unnecessary to me. However, it was still an amazing book and I will give it the second highest honour that I can give: a four-star rating and a place on my 'favourites' shelf!
As the son of a former slave, Diocletian had humble origins and was raised in the ranks of the Roman army like many other emperors before him. What made Diocletian so special and different compared to other emperors, was his ability to look at the future and to make huge reforms to make sure that the empire would survive. He restructured the complete administrative arrangement of the empire, while also totally changing its defensive strategy and the composition of the army. He pushed several fiscal and economic reforms too, some of which were successful while others weren't. However, what is probably Diocletian's most famous reform was the Tetrarchy. This saw the empire 'divided' into four parts ruled by two senior and two junior emperors. It looked great on paper, especially if you read about the problems of emperors such as Aurelian or Probus, who couldn't be everywhere at once. As a first, Diocletian also decided to retire instead of staying in power until his death. It soon became clear though, that several of his reforms. including the Tetrarchy, failed as soon as he left. As his successors fought amongst themselves, asking Diocletian for his help, he famously replied that he enjoyed tending to his cabbage farm and that he had no interest in becoming emperor again.
Diocletian's many reforms can be extremely boring to read about, especially his fiscal and economic reforms can be very dry. This, however, is totally not the case in this book! Williams is a great writer, who miraculously manages to make chapters on Roman fiscal reforms interesting and engaging. I must admit that I was afraid of this book at first and expected it to be very dry and heavy, but this was not true at all, and I can truly say that I really enjoyed it. The rest of Diocletian's reign and those of his imperial colleagues are very well explained and summarised. Though Williams deserves the most credit for his explanations of Diocletian's reforms. The only thing I did not like about this book was the last chapter, which summarised most of the events after Constantine until the fall of the Western Roman Empire, this seemed a bit unnecessary to me. However, it was still an amazing book and I will give it the second highest honour that I can give: a four-star rating and a place on my 'favourites' shelf!
July 30, 2010
I read Steven Williams' Diocletian and the Roman Recovery in conjunction with Alaric Watson's biography of Aurelian (my review here). Like that book, Diocletian doesn't aim to revise the "standard version" of the emperor's reign so much as pull together the scholarship (as of 1985) about the period and lay it out with minimal fuss for the general reader.
I don't have much to say about the book as such except to recommend it to readers interested in the period but unfamiliar with the history and make two observations.
The first is that Diocletian bears a strong resemblance to Augustus, Rome's first emperor. Like him, Diocletian "restored" the Roman world by revolutionizing it. The government and society that emerged after AD 285 may have claimed to be traditionally "Roman" but it bore little resemblance to Augustus's constitution.
The second observation is that I appreciated Williams' treatment of the imperial cult and Diocletian's attempt to revive it. The "common wisdom" view tends to dismiss its seriousness and centrality to people's lives but Williams argues persuasively that people did take it seriously and that it did play a role in peoples' lives beyond a cynical acquiescence to imperial will. The cult ultimately failed because the society it mirrored was passing away, and - you'll remember - Christianity rapidly took on many of its trappings once it became the state's religion (albeit the focus of worship was subtlely shifted).
I don't have much to say about the book as such except to recommend it to readers interested in the period but unfamiliar with the history and make two observations.
The first is that Diocletian bears a strong resemblance to Augustus, Rome's first emperor. Like him, Diocletian "restored" the Roman world by revolutionizing it. The government and society that emerged after AD 285 may have claimed to be traditionally "Roman" but it bore little resemblance to Augustus's constitution.
The second observation is that I appreciated Williams' treatment of the imperial cult and Diocletian's attempt to revive it. The "common wisdom" view tends to dismiss its seriousness and centrality to people's lives but Williams argues persuasively that people did take it seriously and that it did play a role in peoples' lives beyond a cynical acquiescence to imperial will. The cult ultimately failed because the society it mirrored was passing away, and - you'll remember - Christianity rapidly took on many of its trappings once it became the state's religion (albeit the focus of worship was subtlely shifted).
April 4, 2011
The first English language biography on Diocletion and a well written one at that. Stephen Williams is not a professional Roman historian instead he is a professor of philosophy and therin lays the books strength. Williams writes for the enthusiastic Roman history buff and the general reader.
Instead of quoting ancient historians ad nauseum and going off on tangents he gets to the meat of the matter. How Diocletion and his fellow emperors were able to pull the empire back from total collapse. He gives detailed explanations as to what was occurring in the Empire during the 3rd Century and why. He isn't afraid to offer his own theories where our knowledge of events are sketchy and he always keeps the book moving along at a brisk pace. I especially enjoyed the final chapter where he covers the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century. It's well written with a detailed description of what occurred and why. He also contrast the collapse of the West with the survival of the Eastern Empire. Wonderful book for the layman, student, and perhaps even the expert.
The only caveat is that this book was published in 1985 and scholars never stop researching.
Instead of quoting ancient historians ad nauseum and going off on tangents he gets to the meat of the matter. How Diocletion and his fellow emperors were able to pull the empire back from total collapse. He gives detailed explanations as to what was occurring in the Empire during the 3rd Century and why. He isn't afraid to offer his own theories where our knowledge of events are sketchy and he always keeps the book moving along at a brisk pace. I especially enjoyed the final chapter where he covers the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the fifth century. It's well written with a detailed description of what occurred and why. He also contrast the collapse of the West with the survival of the Eastern Empire. Wonderful book for the layman, student, and perhaps even the expert.
The only caveat is that this book was published in 1985 and scholars never stop researching.
April 28, 2011
More than a biography of Diocletian, this book provides an in-depth examination of how Diocletian rescued the Roman Empire from disintegration.
Williams's prologue provides an adequate overview of evolving understanding of the role of emperor in the century leading up to Diocletian's reign. Part I surveys the problems Diocletian faced as part of "The Third-Century Collapse" and the Illyrian officer corps from which Diocletian came. All of this information is valuable and interestingly presented, but there is very little biographical information here that you won't find elsewhere.
Where the book shines is in Part 2, where Williams covers Diocletian's decision to divide command of the Empire and then subdivide it again. How the Tetrarchs reunited and consolidated the Empire and more or less restored its borders is a fascinating read. Williams's discussion of how Diocletian's reforms affected social, economic, and artistic trends in the Empire is a little drier, but his examination of the religious world under Diocletian's reign has the clearest presentation of the pagan mind set that I've ever read.
If his excellent narrative about Diocletian's reign aren't enough, Williams closes with a summary of "Constantine's Completion" of Diocletian's work and considers some of the long term ramifications of it. Diocletian and the Roman Recovery is an excellent read for those with casual interest in Roman history as well as historians looking for an insightful analysis of Diocletian's reign.
Williams's prologue provides an adequate overview of evolving understanding of the role of emperor in the century leading up to Diocletian's reign. Part I surveys the problems Diocletian faced as part of "The Third-Century Collapse" and the Illyrian officer corps from which Diocletian came. All of this information is valuable and interestingly presented, but there is very little biographical information here that you won't find elsewhere.
Where the book shines is in Part 2, where Williams covers Diocletian's decision to divide command of the Empire and then subdivide it again. How the Tetrarchs reunited and consolidated the Empire and more or less restored its borders is a fascinating read. Williams's discussion of how Diocletian's reforms affected social, economic, and artistic trends in the Empire is a little drier, but his examination of the religious world under Diocletian's reign has the clearest presentation of the pagan mind set that I've ever read.
If his excellent narrative about Diocletian's reign aren't enough, Williams closes with a summary of "Constantine's Completion" of Diocletian's work and considers some of the long term ramifications of it. Diocletian and the Roman Recovery is an excellent read for those with casual interest in Roman history as well as historians looking for an insightful analysis of Diocletian's reign.
June 6, 2023
This is the first book I have read on Diocletian's reign. I think it is the first English book that explored his life. While I am not qualified to evaluate the historical facts or the views of Stephen Williams, I thought to share my opinion. I appreciate the work that was done to pen this book. I enjoyed the style and the prose and learned much more about the Roman Empire in the 3rd century than before. I found Stephen's writing balanced, provided that most of Dicoletian's contemporary historians were Christian.
Diocletian was declared Augustus on 20 Nov 284 AD, by his legion after the death of Numerian. He established a 'Tetrach' government system by appointing another August and two caesars under the two augusti. He reformed the taxation and the administrative systems of the Roman Empire which were efficient. This reform managed to fund a program to secure the Roman borders. His program included building fortresses and check points and establishing mobile and stationary troops across the borders. This program brought peace after decades of turmoil, where the countryside was constantly raided by tribes, e.g. Alimani, in Europe and in Africa and regular attacks from the Persians in the East.
Between 303-304 he issued 4 Edicts to persecute the Christians. The persecution came to an end in 313, when Constantine and Licinus issued the Edict of Milan. historians call this period the Great Persecution.
In this book Stephen defined Diocletian as a Monarch with a character of an army officer. He created a harsh system, but it worked. Despite his religious character, he started a bloody episode in history, that should not have gone that far.
Diocletian was declared Augustus on 20 Nov 284 AD, by his legion after the death of Numerian. He established a 'Tetrach' government system by appointing another August and two caesars under the two augusti. He reformed the taxation and the administrative systems of the Roman Empire which were efficient. This reform managed to fund a program to secure the Roman borders. His program included building fortresses and check points and establishing mobile and stationary troops across the borders. This program brought peace after decades of turmoil, where the countryside was constantly raided by tribes, e.g. Alimani, in Europe and in Africa and regular attacks from the Persians in the East.
Between 303-304 he issued 4 Edicts to persecute the Christians. The persecution came to an end in 313, when Constantine and Licinus issued the Edict of Milan. historians call this period the Great Persecution.
In this book Stephen defined Diocletian as a Monarch with a character of an army officer. He created a harsh system, but it worked. Despite his religious character, he started a bloody episode in history, that should not have gone that far.
November 17, 2024
This was a fantastic portrait of one of the most consequential of all the Roman emperors. He addressed the problems of the 3rd century and whilst not putting in place a system that continue exactly as he intended certainly was closer to his aim than would could have otherwise have thought.
One element I very much enjoyed was the idea that his idea of what ‘Rome’ was and its philosophical underpinnings no longer involved the city of Rome. This leap deepened and continued which in many ways allowed Byzantium to carry on as East Rome without and contradiction of not holding Rome itself.
One element I very much enjoyed was the idea that his idea of what ‘Rome’ was and its philosophical underpinnings no longer involved the city of Rome. This leap deepened and continued which in many ways allowed Byzantium to carry on as East Rome without and contradiction of not holding Rome itself.
February 2, 2016
Most Roman emperors come of as tyrannical, or at least out of touch. Their wars often reek more of personal interest than of genuine need. The book paints a thorough portrait of one emperor who bucked that trend.
Diocles was born in the Balkans and raised as a Roman soldier. His identity was defined by a love for Rome without himself being Roman. And in taking power he sought to break the cycle of violence that had caused generals like him to overthrow the government time and time again. He sought to preserve the empire's integrity and philosophy at all costs, leading to his institution of a kind of proto-federalism and a clear line of succession based on military rank, not geneology. His limited persecution of Christians is regrettable, but understandable in the context of an empire that felt itself to be surrounded by enemies on all sides and filled with opportunists and traitors within (essentially an accurate statement). The portrait is of a man who struggled to save his homeland against the trends of the time, only to see his life's work fall apart in his old age. He is a tragic character, immediately understandable and sympathetic, even in the modern age.
Diocles was born in the Balkans and raised as a Roman soldier. His identity was defined by a love for Rome without himself being Roman. And in taking power he sought to break the cycle of violence that had caused generals like him to overthrow the government time and time again. He sought to preserve the empire's integrity and philosophy at all costs, leading to his institution of a kind of proto-federalism and a clear line of succession based on military rank, not geneology. His limited persecution of Christians is regrettable, but understandable in the context of an empire that felt itself to be surrounded by enemies on all sides and filled with opportunists and traitors within (essentially an accurate statement). The portrait is of a man who struggled to save his homeland against the trends of the time, only to see his life's work fall apart in his old age. He is a tragic character, immediately understandable and sympathetic, even in the modern age.
September 10, 2015
A remarkably good, readable, and well-written account of the reign of Diocletian, and the far-reaching restructuring of the Roman Empire that he carried out that marked the end of the troubled time of Crisis of the Third Century. It was sad, as I expected, to read of the man's great exertions and triumphs, and then to read of his living long enough to see his system of joint, tetrarchic rule come crumbling down in years of civil war, and him to be relegated to irrelevance. All the sadder is to know that it all culminated in the reign of Constantine, which did so much to set the stage for the tragedy of the fall of the Western Empire, the destruction of the classical world, and the ushering in of the endless wars and conflicts of religious bigotry that so marked the Middle Ages. In the end, though, I find myself wishing that we had more extant that tells of who exactly Diocletian was, how his mind worked, where he came from, but, as with so many figures, great and small, much has been lost to the mists of time. (In itself a humbling lesson.)
March 25, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. Diocletian's reforms did not even last to his retirement, but I am not sure that anything would have worked. The rot of the Empire began with the Republic. The time between the assassination of Alexander Severus and the accession of Diocletian was racked with civil war and secession.
September 4, 2010
Excellent biography of the emperor who did more than anyone to end the great crisis of the third century.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews