Diocletian

Hello! My name is Diocletian, and I was an emperor of ancient Rome. I was born a long, long time ago, around the year 244, in a place called Dalmatia. My family wasn't wealthy or famous, but I had big dreams. I decided to join the Roman army when I was a young man. It was hard work, but I was a good soldier. I learned how to lead others and how to be brave. I kept getting promoted to more important jobs because I worked so hard.

One day, in the year 284, something amazing happened. The other army leaders chose me to be the new Roman Emperor! It was the biggest job in the whole world. Imagine being in charge of lands that stretched from Britain all the way to Egypt. The empire had so many people, so many cities, and so many problems. Enemies were trying to attack our borders, and it was hard to get messages from one side of the empire to the other. I realized it was too much work for just one person to handle.

I thought and thought about how to fix this problem. Then, I had a great idea! I decided to share the job. In the year 293, I created a new system. I chose a trusted friend, Maximian, to be a co-emperor with me. We were called the Augusti, or senior emperors. Then, we each picked a helper, called a Caesar, to be a junior emperor. This team of four rulers was called the Tetrarchy. It means 'rule of four.' I ruled the eastern part of the empire, and Maximian ruled the west, with our helpers nearby. It worked much better!

After ruling for more than twenty years and making the empire stronger, I was ready for a rest. I did something no Roman emperor had ever done before. On May 1st, 305, I chose to retire! People were shocked. But I had worked hard my whole life and wanted to enjoy some peace and quiet. I had a giant, beautiful palace built right by the sea in my homeland, where I could live out my days.

I spent the rest of my years in my amazing palace. When some of the other rulers asked me to come back and be emperor again, I told them I was much happier growing cabbages in my garden! I lived a full life. Today, people remember me for my clever idea of the Tetrarchy, which changed how the Roman Empire was run. And they remember me as the one emperor who was powerful enough to give up his power. My palace is so big and strong that it's still there today, and it became the center of a city called Split.