Diocletian vs Heredity: Succession Events and the Soldiery

This chapter argues that Lactantius’ polemical account of the succession in 305, according to which Galerius pressured Diocletian into abdicating and ignoring the hereditary claims of Maxentius and Constantine, is not to be trusted. Rather, the succession event must have reflected the will of Diocletian. Diocletian, and later Galerius, repeatedly ignored hereditary norms in 285, 293, 305, 308 and 311, and Tetrarchic media reflected this. Diocletian and Galerius tailored the successions in 305 and 308 to allow Galerius to dominate the Tetrarchy as Diocletian had done before, but additionally, during the troubles of the later third century, hereditary claims had dramatically diminished as an effective form of legitimacy in the eyes of the soldiery.Diocletian wished to present an image of unity and continuity through dynastic bonds, but he prioritised military credentials over ties of blood. However, the success and relative longevity of his regime meant that by 306 the Tetrarchs had gained legitimacy that was sufficiently great to pass on to their sons. As a result, in that year, Constantine and Maxentius used their political capital to take power. But although Constantine heralded an age of explicit dynasticism, the idea that military credentials might supersede family ties persisted.