Roman Legionary AD 284-337: The Age of Diocletian and Constantine the Great (proof) (original) (raw)

Constantine, Constans and the Comes Rei Militaris (306-350)

The collapsing of the Tetrarchy system during the wars of 306-313 brought some new issues and changes to the whole Roman Empire, mainly about the new role of Christianity and the different state ideology and politics Constantine I started to follow. But the Roman Army was not unconnected to these changes and new policies connected to organization of troops and frontier lines altered the old Diocletianic models. Constantine I was a great builder of towers, military roads, fortified bridges and forts all along the Rhine limes whom he cared of so much during his reign. But after his death in 337 his younger son Constans I followed her steps in the West with a vigorous series of military campaigns across the frontier, punishing and controlling the barbarians on the other side both in Britain and Gaul. He created a new military rank too, for endorsing his father´s policy and put to safety more efficiently the borders all along his domains in the West: the comes rei militaris

Did Diocletian overhaul the Roman army?

It is usually difficult to identify the watershed that marks the demise of an old system and the birth of a new one, but AD 284 has become an iconic example. In that year, the accession of Diocletian ushered in a new style of Roman government in which the emperor’s official title, hitherto Princeps (‘first citizen’) or, more formally, Imperator Caesar (‘Caesar the commander’), became instead Dominus Noster (‘our Master’). In conjunction with this change of attitude, scholars have sought to identify changes in policy, and it is common to attribute the beginnings of a new style of Roman army to the reforming zeal of Diocletian. But was he really a reformer, or did he merely strive to restore a broken system? Was he really an innovator, or did he simply take the old system to its logical conclusion? (Illustrated by Angel Garcia Pinto.)