戴克里先(245～316年)

Diocletian

拉丁语全名为Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus，原名Diocles。

罗马皇帝（285～305年在位）。他在西元3世纪近乎无政府状态中重建有效率的帝国政府，暂时遏止了西方帝国的衰落。曾在罗马皇帝卡里努斯（283～285年在位）手下工作，当时，卡里努斯的兄弟、共治皇帝努梅里安被发现死在御舆中。戴克里先的部下拥护他为皇帝。在他初即帝位时，他的实权仅限於他的军队所控制的地区－－小亚细亚，可能还有叙利亚。卡里努斯攻击戴克里先（285），但在获胜前遭到暗杀，使戴克里先成为唯一的皇帝。他决心使军队脱离政治，重新建立国内秩序。实行四帝并治以分散他的影响力和平定叛乱。他改组了帝国财政、行政和军事组织，为东方的拜占庭帝国奠定了基础，暂时遏止了西方帝国的衰落。303～304年颁布四项敕令对基督徒进行迫害，这是最後一次的大规模迫害行动。他於305年退位。

English version：

245～316年

Diocletian

Roman emperor (284-305) who restored efficient government after the near anarchy of the 3rd century. He was serving under the emperor Carinus (r. 283-85) when the co-emperor, Carinus' brother Numerian, was killed. Diocletian's army declared him emperor, but his domain was restricted to Asia Minor and possibly Syria. Carinus attacked Diocletian (285) but was assassinated before achieving victory, allowing Diocletian to become sole emperor. He sought to remove the military from politics, and established a tetrarchy (four-ruler system) to spread his influence and combat rebellions throughout the empire. Proclaiming himself and his corulers as gods, he added the trappings of a theocracy to the reign. His fiscal, administrative, and military reorganization laid the foundation for the Byzantine empire in the east and briefly strengthened the fading empire in the west. In 303-4 he issued four edicts decreeing the last great persecution of Christians. He abdicated in 305.