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The Roman Empire

Conclusion

The Empire recovered itself with the reign of Diocletian (285-304). A separate essay addresses the later Empire.

In one sense, it can be said that the Roman Empire fell here, in the third century. Certainly the empire that Augustus Caesar passed away in most significant aspects. The reforms of Diocletian, necessitated by the crisis, created a new army, a new system of taxation, a new form of imperial government, and with Constantine even a new capitol. Rome was still called Rome, but Rome was becoming Byzantium in the east and was coming apart at the seams in the west.

Yet, the Empire was still the Empire, if only because there was as yet nothing to replace it, and it had been so dominant for so long that life was inconceivable without a Rome. So, although the emperors resided in the east, it was still called the Roman Empire and everyone thought of it as such. Indeed, the power of the name was such that some political entity or other would continue to call itself the Roman Empire for another fifteen centuries.