Split of the Roman Empire - 286 A.D.
The Roman Empire had grown so large that it was impossible for just one man to control it. One reason that it was hard to have control was because no good means of communication were available at that time. So, in 284, a man named Diocletian became the emperor of the land. He realized his inabilities to have complete rule, so he divide the land into two parts. They were known as 'East' and 'West'. The capital city in the eastern portion was placed in Nicomedia. Diocletian then ruled from there, while Maximian ruled from the west, in which the capital city was Rome.
Diocletian, as many rulers in the past, did something dangerous. He did not fear God and proclaimed himself as a god. He demanded that the people worship him. He obviously did not know about the time Herod tried this and an angel of the Lord smote him and he died and was eaten by worms, when he tried to be a god. Many Christians refused to worship Diocletian, and as a result, they faced serious persecution. Both Diocletian and Maximian selected new rulers that would succeed them after they resigned. After this, a civil war broke out because many selfish men wanted to rule. Out of these men came Constantine, who was successful in becoming the next ruler.
No comments:
Post a Comment