Soon after the death of Marcus Aurelius, the last of five good emperors in Rome, the empire began to crumble. An examination of Roman history during the period from 180 to 305 AD reveals that political instabilities, inflation, and a weak defense contributed to the territory’s collapse. Potter (2014) asserts that during the years that characterized the fall, the Roman Empire had more than 50 leaders, including Commodus, Aurelius’ son, and Diocletian. The high number of leaders who reigned stemmed from a series of frequent overthrows or assassinations that exemplified the governance in the region. The armies and those who sought to become emperors desired power and regularly plotted to murder or oust leaders, a phenomenon that greatly affected the territory’s control. Additionally, some emperors wastefully spent the empire’s resources. Misuse of resources caused inflation in the country and plunged its populace into an abyss of poverty. Frequent assassinations and political unrest weakened the empire’s armies, rendering them vulnerable to attacks from neighboring communities.
When Diocletian took power, he instituted policies to salvage an empire that was on the verge of decline. According to Longo (2017), some of the measures that Diocletian implemented included the division of the Roman Empire into Western and Eastern regions. Although he delegated some duties to his co-emperors, he retained supreme power. At the time of Diocletian’s reign, people paid high taxes and had to work like slaves for the wealthy. To address these challenges, Diocletian fixed the prices of commodities. Such strategies played a pivotal role in reducing the fast pace at which the empire was collapsing. However, inasmuch as he struggled to control the empire, the level of instability hindered any success wrought by his initiatives. On May 1, 305 AD, Diocletian became the first leader in the history of the empire to resign.
References
Longo, M. (2017). From Sovereignty to Imperium: Borders, Frontiers and the Specter of Neo-Imperialism. Geopolitics, 22(4), 757-771.
Potter, D. (2014). The Roman Empire at bay, AD 180–395. New York, NY: Routledge.