Jul 21
On July 21, 285 CE, Roman Emperor Diocletian appointed his trusted fellow military commander, Maximian, as Caesar, making him his junior co-ruler. This marked a crucial step toward the Tetrarchy, the system of shared rule that Diocletian would formally establish a few years later. Maximian was entrusted with responsibility for the troubled western provinces, while Diocletian focused primarily on the East. The arrangement aimed to strengthen imperial authority, respond more effectively to military threats and internal instability, and restore order to an empire weakened by decades of political and economic crises. #Diocletian #Maximian #RomanEmpire #RomanHistory #Tetrarchy