A Roman emperor who ruled from 284-305 C.E. Diocletian is known for making vicious attacks on Christians as well as for issuing edicts to destroy copies of the Holy Scriptures. Despite his attempts to do away with all early Christian literature, thousands of ancient fragments and manuscripts have been preserved until our day.—See App. A3, “How the Bible Came to Us.”

He was named Diocles when he was born in the Roman province of Dalmatia; his full name was Gaius Aurelius Valerius Diocletianus. He became sole ruler in 285 C.E., and his secular reforms brought a measure of stability to the Roman Empire. Diocletian divided the empire administratively into a tetrarchy, or four-ruler system. He also divided it into eastern and western regions—a move that some historians believe paved the way for the rise of the Byzantine Empire. He abdicated in 305 C.E. and died a few years later, disillusioned by the quarrels among his successors.

The final years of his reign saw the last major persecution of Christians. Reasons given for the persecution include the desire to restore complete unity without the tolerance of an alleged foreign cult that was seen as separatist and the influence of anti-Christian philosophers. Another reason given is the influence of Diocletian’s successor, Galerius, a fanatical follower of the traditional Roman religion.