Discovering Diocletian: Top 12 Fun Facts About the Ancient Roman Emperor You Never Knew

1. Gardening, But Make it Political

If you can't beet 'em, just grow the darn things: Despite popular belief, Diocletian didn't exactly retire to a peaceful life of vegetable gardening after his abdication. In reality, he remained politically involved and continued to advise his successors on matters of empire.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

2. Home Sweet Fortress

Who says you can't go home again? Emperor Diocletian did, and he built himself a palatial retirement complex to prove it: Diocletian's Palace in Split, Croatia, was actually a massive fortress-like structure designed for both his personal usage and to accommodate a military garrison, making up half of the current old town of Split and landing on UNESCO's World Heritage List in 1979.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

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3. Emperor in Disguise

Forget emperors in shining armor; Diocletian dished out the imperial splendor in humble clothing and a green thumb: The Roman ruler was known for his modesty, donning simple garments, living in a small home, and tending to his own vegetable gardens – both in his palace on the Dalmatian coast and amidst his grand architectural triumphs across the empire.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

4. Bureaucracy Boss

Who knew ancient Rome had its own version of The Office? Diocletian, that boss who just LOVED bureaucracy: He implemented the most extensive administrative reforms in Roman history, separating and enlarging civil and military services while reorganizing provincial divisions. All those extra memos, coffee breaks, and TPS reports helped stabilize the empire and kept it standing for another 150 years. Can we have a "World's Best Emperor" mug for this guy?
Source => en.wikipedia.org

5. Ancient Price Is Right

If Diocletian was a contestant on "The Price is Right," he'd probably be the first emperor to get his own spin-off show: In 301 AD, Diocletian implemented the Edict on Maximum Prices, setting maximum prices and wages for goods and services to combat inflation caused by debased Roman coinage. Despite its eventual disregard, it remains the longest surviving legislation from the Tetrarchy period, allowing modern historians to piece together the ancient price tags of the Roman world.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

6. Emperor-turned-Gardener

Whoever said, "you can take the gardener out of the emperor, but you can't take the emperor out of the gardener" might've been thinking of ol' Diocletian: In his post-Roman ruler days, the former military-minded emperor shifted his focus to growing veggies at his Salona palace, which is now a significant part of modern-day Split, Croatia, proving that even the most powerful can have a green thumb.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

7. Capital DJ

When ancient Rome played musical chairs with its capitals, Diocletian was the DJ: He established new administrative centers closer to the frontiers, including Nicomedia, Mediolanum, Antioch, and Trier, which ultimately became crucial hubs of trade and commerce.
Source => courses.lumenlearning.com

8. Persecuting Party Planner

Diocletian's attack on Christianity was a "persecutest", as he searched high and low for loyal Romans to turn and denounce the new faith with some ancient god karaoke: turns out, this Roman emperor not only mastered the art of "divide and conquer" but also had a flair for party planning, as he made it mandatory for soldiers and administration members to pay tribute to traditional gods, destroy churches, and burn Christian texts. Sadly, his soirees didn't sit well with Christians, and instead of a raving success, the Great Persecution became a divine flop, with the faithful sect holding their ground and refusing a second invitation to the pagan party.
Source => worldhistory.org

9. Price-Cap Crusader

When Diocletian wasn't too busy with his Roman Empire duties, he could be found doubling as Price-Cap Crusader, swooping into private bathhouses to catch cloakroom crooks in the act: In 301 CE, Diocletian's Edict on Maximum Prices set caps on over 1,400 products and services, including bathhouse cloakroom fees, to combat inflation – though ultimately, it had little success and collapsed due to weak enforcement.
Source => imperiumromanum.pl

10. Palace of Split

Talk about Split personalities: Diocletian's retirement pad in Aspalathos not only merged Roman and Greek architectural styles but also laid the foundations for the modern-day city of Split in Croatia – making this ancient palace the ultimate transformer among the world's most well-preserved Roman ruins!
Source => en.wikipedia.org

11. Bathhouse Innovator

When Diocletian wasn't chilling in his icy frigidarium or sweating it out in the sweltering caldarium, he was probably kicking back in the tepidarium, contemplating his next bath-time innovation: Behold the grand Diocletian's Baths, ancient Rome's mega spa! Constructed between AD 298 and 306, this colossal bathing complex was the pinnacle of relaxation, equipped with water from the Aqua Marcia aqueduct. Although time has left it partially in ruins, you can still marvel at its magnificent remains that endure as a popular museum in Rome today.
Source => en.wikipedia.org

12. Marie Kondo of Rome

In a bold move that would make Marie Kondo proud, Emperor Diocletian brought his unique flair for administrative tidying to the Roman Empire: by dividing its governance into an elaborate East-West tetrarchy system, he left a lasting impact on the empire's structure, ensuring that it would spark joy for centuries to come.
Source => en.wikipedia.org