The era began with , a tough general from North Africa who seized power after a bloody civil war. His philosophy was simple: "Enrich the soldiers, and scorn all others."
For fifty years, the Roman Empire was a revolving door of "Barracks Emperors"—generals who were declared emperors by their troops only to be murdered months later. The empire faced a "perfect storm" of disasters: The Roman Empire from Severus to Constantine
Diocletian stabilized the economy through price edicts and reorganized the military into mobile field armies. However, he is also remembered for the "Great Persecution," a final, violent attempt to suppress the rising tide of Christianity and restore traditional Roman values. The era began with , a tough general
The collapse was halted by , a pragmatic reformer who realized the empire was too large for one man to rule. He established the Tetrarchy (Rule of Four), dividing the empire into Eastern and Western halves, each governed by an "Augustus" and a junior "Caesar." However, he is also remembered for the "Great
The silver content of Roman coins dropped to nearly zero.