Diocletian’s Military Reforms
Diocletian’s Military Reforms

Summary/Abstract: From among the many changes introduced by Diocletian, the military reforms were the most important. We can even say that some other changes were either direct or indirect results of this one. Of course, the introduction of the taxation system capitatio–iugatio was a result of the need to increase income for growing expenses, from which the biggest one was the army. Even the Edict Price – as in the introductory part Diocletian and his co-regent admitted – was a result of concern for soldiers. The established measures of the military reforms contributed to the stability of the state and mainly to the border protection of the Empire by stopping barbarian attacks – at least temporarily. Good side of this reform was that the increased number of soldiers and the better organisation increased the state’s defence power. Besides the larger number of soldiers, expenses were raised by the fast development and by cavalry participation, which involved much higher expenses than what was needed for the infantry. Was the state able to provide the necessary funds compared to those already existent, and if it was, for how long and in what way? The military reforms could not give any more permanent result.Another bad result was the decline in quality of the military personnel. The recruiting system did not bring the best people into the legions. Probably latifundium owners gave their worse workers to the army.

• Details
• Contents