Galerius And The Will Of Diocletian PDF Download

Glaerius Maximianus, a member of Diocletian's Tetrarchy, typified the uncultured and military-oriented Emperors who issued from Illyria during the late third and early fourth centuries A.D. These rulers arrested the continual barbarian incusions which threatened the destruction of the Empire. They, nevertheless, received scant acknowledgement for their accomplishments, both in antiquity and the present. Because of the scarcity of information available few studies of the individual emperors exist, although many are needed. Like the other Illyrian Emperors, Galerius slowly rose to power through the ranks of the army. He owed Diocletian a great debt of gratitude for his elevation to the Caesarship and always remained faithful to him and his program for restoring the organization and unification of the Roman world. An examination of Galerius' career indicates that his greatest attribute was definitely an outstanding military ability. Assigned to defend the vital Danubian lands, Galerius in a series of wars completely suppressed the barbarian invasions. His defeat of the great Persian nation in 298 ranks as the greatest military victory achieved during the Tetrarchic period. Despite his many commendable qualities, certain misconceptions surround Galerius' life. The ancient writers, in particular the Christians, inaccurately describe him as a savage, bloodthirsty barbarian. The pagan authors emphasize his lack of education, while the Christian historians stress his role in the infamous persecution of that sect between 303 and 311. Their exaggerated and fictitious accounts of Galerius, which many modern historians accept, do him a grave injustice. Galerius, an advocate of the Tetrarchic system, always occupied a secondary position to his Augustus. Upon his accession to the dominant post in the Empire, Galerius attempted to continue the policies of Diocletian, including his governmental arrangement and the oppression of the Christians. Unfortunately Galerius proved unable to hold in check the other ambitious monarchs, and a series of civil wars destroyed the Tetrarchy. The persecution also failed, and just prior to his death Galerius reluctantly terminated the suppression of the Christians with an edict which for the first time granted toleration to that sect. All the objectives to which Galerius had dedicated his life ended in frustration and failure.