With the unexpected death of Aurelian and no designated heirs to the empire Rome suffers a number of emperors in quick succession with several only lasting months to a few short years. Looking like the Roman Empire might fracture yet again except for a shrewd officer named Diocletian who through good fortune and good planning is able to wrest the control of the empire and enforce stability upon it once more.

Diocletian establishes what is known as the Tetrarchy, a rule of four emperors (two senior and two juniors), and though there is no clear Eastern or Western Roman Empires, Diocletian and his co-emperor Maximianus set the base upon which Rome will continue to endure for hundreds of years. First they must finally come to terms with the Franks and other Germanic tribes that have been decimating the Rhine frontiers for 30 years, and then jointly deal with yet another revolt in the form of breakaway claimant Carausius and his Britannic North Sea Empire before returning jointly to the east again and dealing with yet more revolts in Egypt.

This is the era Saint George lived through. The reformation and reimagining of what the Roman Empire could be. Being fortunate enough to take advantage of the reforms of Gallienus only a couple of decades ago as enabled Christians to seek advancement in Roman society, and have career prospects in the Roman legions as Maximian and Diocletian work to enforce peace across the Roman borders.

As 303 comes around, Saint George’s fortunes were to take a turn for the worse. With peace at last across the empire Maximian, Diocletian, and Diocletian’s jr emperor Galerius look to stamp out the Manichean Christian faith in the east, widely believed to be behind the most recent revolt in Egypt, before taking a broader anti-Christian stance to the rest of the empire.

Saint George, caught up in the famous Christian persecutions under Diocletian in the east suffers martyrdom possibly at the hands of Galerius while a now old Diocletian looks to retire and leave the empire in the hands of the next generation.

This bonus episode of Grimdark History Podcast winds down with a look across Season 1 of the podcast and a preview of Season 2 starting in January 2025.

Sources Used in this episode

Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine - Patricia Southern

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