Diocletian Chart
The tables below are reproductions of the charts found in chapter V of The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982) by T.D. Barnes. Minor stylistic changes have been made to improve consistency.
The tables below are adapted and reproduced with permission from T.D. Barnes, The New Empire of Diocletian and Constantine (Cambridge: Harvard University Press, 1982).
Click here to access a downloadable pdf of this document.
Principal Residences
Year | Location |
---|---|
285–296 | Sirmium and Nicomedia |
296–299 | In Syria and Egypt |
299–302 | Antioch |
302–305 | Nicomedia |
Attested Movements
Date | Event | Source |
---|---|---|
284, Nov. 20 | Proclaimed emperor at Nicomedia | P. Beatty Panopolis 2.162, etc.; Lactantius, Mort. Pers. 17.1 (day); Zosimus 1.73.2 = John of Antioch, frag. 163 (place) |
285, spring | Campaign against Carinus, ending in a battle near Viminacium | Victor, Caes. 39.11 ff.; Eutropius, Brev. 9.20.1/2; itinerarium Burdigalense p. 564.9 Wesseling |
285, summer | Visit to Italy | RIC 5.2.241 no. 203 (Ticinum: ADVENTUS AUG); Zonaras 12.31 (alleges a visit to Rome) |
285, Nov. 2 | At Civitas Iovia (otherwise known as Botivo) and Sonista (on the road between Poetovio and Mursa) | CJ 4.48.5 (Atubino); Frag. Vat. 297 (Suneata) |
285?, autumn | Campaign against the Sarmatians | |
286, Jan. 20–Mar. 3 | At Nicomedia | CJ 4.21.6; 3.28.18 (Feb. 14); 7.35.2 (Feb. 15); Frag. Vat. 275 (Mar. 3); Chr. Pasch. 510/11 = Chr. Min. 1.229/30 (winter at Nicomedia) |
286, Mar. 22 | At Byzantium | Frag. Vat. 281 |
286, May 31–Aug. 31 | At Tiberias | CJ 4.10.3 (May 31: one ms.); CJ 1.51.1? (July 14); 5.17.3 (Aug. 31) |
286, Oct. 13 | At Heraclea in Thrace | Frag. Vat. 284 |
287 | Negotiates with Persian ambassadors, presumably in Syria, and installs Tiridates as ruler in Armenia | Pan. Lat. 10(2).7.5, 9.2, 10.6 f., 8(5).3.3, cf. ILS 618 (Pers(icus) max(imus) in 290) |
287? | Fortifies Circesium and reorganizes the Syrian frontier | Ammianus 23.5.2 |
288 | Campaign on the frontier of Raetia, and conference with Maximian | Pan. Lat. 10(2).9.1 |
289?, summer | Sarmatian campaign, defence of Dacia | Pan. Lat. 11(3).5.4, 7.1, 8(5).3.3 |
290, Jan. 11 | At Sirmium | CJ 10.3.4 |
290, Feb. 27 | At Adrianople | CJ 6.55.2 |
290, Apr. 3 | At Byzantium | CJ 2.4.13 |
290, May 6 | At Antioch | Frag. Vat. 276 |
290, May 10 | At Emesa | CJ 9.41.9 |
290, May?/June? | Campagian against Saraceni | Pan. Lat. 11(3).5.4; 7.1 |
290, May 25 | At Laodicea | CJ 6.15.2 |
290, summer | Returns from Syria to Pannonia | Pan. Lat. 11(3).4.2 |
290, July 1–Dec. 18 | At Sirmium | CJ 6.30.6; 8.54(55).3 = Frag. Vat. 286 (Sept. 31); CJ 2.3.19 (Nov. 19), 2.28.1 (Nov. 22); 9.16.4(5) (Nov. 30); 3.28.19 |
290, late Dec., or 291, Jan. | Confers with Maximian in Milan | Pan. Lat. 11(3).8.1 ff. |
291, May 13 | At Sirmium | CJ 9.41.12 |
291, Dec. 4 | At Oescus (mss. have Triballis) | CJ 8.47(48).5 |
293, Jan. 1–Feb. 26 | At Sirmium | CJ, p. 495 |
293, Mar. 1 | Invests Galerius with the purple, probably at Sirmium | |
293, Apr. 1 | At Heraclea | CJ 8.55(56).4 |
293, Apr. 2–13 | At Byzantium | CJ, p. 495 |
293, Apr. 15 | At Melantias | CJ 4.49.7 |
293, Apr. 17–May 1 | At Heraclea | CJ, p. 495 |
293, May 1 | At Tzirallum (Tzurulon), near Heraclea | CJ 2.3.21, 5.3.8, 6.30.7, 6.53.6, 8.35(36).5 |
293, May 10–13 | At Adrianople | CJ 7.16.16, 10.32(31).7, 8.13(14).16 (May 12), 8.50(51).10 |
293, May 17 | At Beroea | CJ 5.24.1 |
293, May 25–June 17 | At Philippopolis | CJ 2.17(18).3, 2.52(53).4 (May 25), 2.12(13).17 (June 5), 4.49.9, 7.67.1 |
293, June 21–28 | At Serdica | CJ 8.44(45).21; Mos. et Rom. legum collatio 10.3 (June 24); CJ 5.16.18 |
293, July 2–15 | At Philippopolis | CJ 9.33.5; 5.12.14 (July 4), 5.34.7, 6.23.12 (July 6), 6.49.3 (July 10), 8.15(16).6 (July 11), 5.16.19, 7.16.18 |
293, Aug. 8–Sept. 1 | At Viminacium | CJ, p. 495 |
293, Sept. 11–294, May 1 | At Sirmium | CJ, pp. 495/6 |
294, May 3 | Near Sirmium | CJ 6.21.14 |
294, May 18–Aug. 20 | At Sirmium | CJ 6.59.1, 9.12.4 (June 15; year emended from 293), 4.18.1 (June 25), 6.58.8 (July 7), 5.16.22 (Aug. 1), 6.24.10 (Aug. 17), 9.18.2 |
294, Sept. 8–12 | At Singidunum | CJ 4.19.21, 9.20.12 |
294, Sept. 22 | Demesso (mss.): not yet identified | CJ 2.12(13).20 |
294, Sept. 26–Oct. 1 | At Viminacium | CJ, pp. 496/7 |
294, Oct. 5 | At Cuppae | CJ 8.44(45).28 |
294, Oct. 8–10 | At Ratiaria | CJ 4.33.5(4), 6.59.8, 7.60.3, 8.13(14).21 |
294, Oct. 11 | At Cebrum | CJ 2.4.30 |
294, Oct. 13 | At Varianae | CJ 2.3.6, 8.37(38).9 |
294, Oct. 17 | At Appiaria | Mos. et Rom. legum collatio 10.5 |
294, Oct. 18 | At Transmarisca | CJ 6.42.28 |
294, Oct. 21–22 | At Durostorum | CJ 8.41(42).6, 9.22.20 |
294, Oct. 25 | Reginassi (mss.); not yet identified | CJ 4.20.8, 4.21.10 |
294, Oct. 26 | At Marcianopolis | Consultatio 6.17 |
294, Oct. 28 | At Anchialos | CJ 5.12.24, 5.51.11, 6.50.17, 8.31(32).2, 8.47(48).9 |
294, Oct. 29 | At Develtus | CJ 6.36.5, 8.50(51).17 |
294, Oct. 31 | At Adrianople | CJ 8.42(43).20 |
294, Nov. 1–3 | At Burtudizum | CJ 5.16.23, 2.3.28, 8.35(36).9 |
294, Nov. 5–8 | At Heraclea | CJ 7.48.3, 5.18.10 (Nov. 7), 2.3.27, 7.35.6, 8.27(28).19; Frag. Vat. 325 |
294, Nov. 9 | At Melantias | CJ 2.4.33(34); Frag. Vat. 314 |
294, Nov. 10 | At Byzantium | CJ 2.4.31, 8.27(28).20 |
294, Nov. 11 | At Pantichium | CJ 4.29.18, 5.12.25, 6.22.4 |
294, Nov. 15–Dec. 30 | At Nicomedia | CJ, p. 497 |
295, Mar. 18 | At Nicomedia | CJ 5.72.3 |
296, summer/autumn | Campaign against the Carpi | Pan. Lat. 8(5).5.2 |
296, late | Goes to Syrian frontier and campaigns against the Persians | P. Argent. 480, 1 verso 1 ff. |
297, autumn–298, spring | Suppresses revolt in Egypt; long siege of Alexandria | Jerome, Chronicle 226; Eutropius, Brev. 9.22–23 |
298, May or June | Visits Oxyrhynchus and travels up the Nile | P. Oxy. 1416; P. Beatty Panopolis 1.375 |
298, summer | Reaches Elephantine and negotiates with Nobatae | Procopius, Bella 1.19.27 ff.; IGRR 1.1291 = Sammelbuch 8393 |
298, Sept. | Return northward expected at Panopolis | P. Beatty Panopolis 1, cf. Pan. Lat. 9(4).21.2 |
299, Feb. 5 | At Antioch | CJ 8.53(54).24 |
299?, late winter | Goes to Mesopotamia | Eutropius, Brev. 9.25.2 |
299?, spring | Meets Galerius at Nisibis | Petrus Patricius, frag. 14 |
300, Feb. 12–301, July 4 | At Antioch | CJ 9.21.1, 3.3.3 (Mar. 25), 7.22.2 (June 25), Malalas 310.7 ff. Bonn (300, July/Aug.); CJ 3.28.25 (301, July 4) |
301/302 | Visits Egypt | Chr. Min. 1.290; Chr. Pasch. 514 Bonn; Eusebius, VC 1.19 (journey through Palestine) |
302, Mar. 31 | At Alexandria | Mos. et Rom. legum collatio 15.3 (year not given) |
302, autumn? | At Antioch | Eusebius, Mart. Pal. (L) 2.2 ff. |
302, late | Goes to Bithynia for winter | Lactantius, Mort. Pers. 10.6 |
303, Jan. 6–Mar. 12 | At Nicomedia | CJ 2.30(31).4; Lactantius, Mort. Pers. 10.6 ff.; Constantine, Oratio 25 (late Feb.); Eusebius, HE 8.5 (Feb. 23), 8.6.2, cf. PO 10.14 (Mar. 12) |
303, June 8 | At Durostorum | CJ 5.73.4 |
303, summer/autumn | Visits Sirmium? | Passio Quattuor Coronatorum 21 f. |
303, before Nov. 20–Dec. | At Rome | Lactantius, Mort. Pers. 17.1 ff. |
303, Dec. 20 | Leaves Rome | Lactantius, Mort. Pers. 17.3 |
304, Jan. 1 | At Ravenna | Lactantius, Mort. Pers. 17.3 |
304, summer | On the Danube; perhaps defeats the Carpi | Lactantius, Mort. Pers. 17.4; Tables 6, 7 |
304, Aug. 28–305, May 1 | At Nicomedia | CJ 3.28.26; Lactantius, Mort. Pers. 17.4 ff.; Eutropius, Brev. 9.27.2; Jerome, Crhonicle 228; Epitome 39.5 |
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