DIO 
the three former of which, during three centuries after. 
never branched themfelves _ — congrepa- 
account of local circum- 
ndered it inca nvenient for all the members 
of this diocefe to affemble, at the ated times of worfhip, 
in one and the fame place. This feparation, however, was 
not aaa till the third century, and was peculiar to the 
bifhopric of Alexan ‘ 
Droctss, aes e Asiatic Diacefe. 
DI A, in pm Geography, a town of Iilyria, in 
N 
Dalmaria, i by Ptolemy Doclea, the native place of 
Dioclefian. ade town is now cuined; it was not far from 
‘Narona, now 
A, pee in paris a ee ity kept 
the {pring at Megara, in e Athenian he 
‘Diocles, who died in the defence a ss youth he loved, 
Pott. Arcteol. Grac. lib. ii. cap. 2 
DIOCLES, in Biography, a atensan who flourifhed 
aun the fourth century ; i invented the curve line deno- 
the cissorp of 
chiefly celebrated. 
among the defe€tive hyperbolas, and is ufed for ere: la 
Morer 
DIOCL 
man emperor, was aes 
in Dalmatia, from whic h 
which ‘was probably Janne afterwards lengthened to the 
Grecian harmony of Diocles, which was alfo the name of his 
nator; but it is probable that his father obtained 
the edo of the ae and that he foon acquired an of- 
fice of {cribe, or regi r, which was com ays exercifed by 
-perfons of hts con on Viator the Younger (Epit. p. Bot 
mare that he was himfelf, in his youth, flave to the fena- 
or Anulinus, w hoy gave him his libeny. At an early age he 
muft have ex- 
he good generals formed 
tary employments At the co 
d whiift he' occupied tome inferior poft, it is f 
id woman, in whofe houfe he lodged, upbraided 
him with alban to whom he jocofely replied, 6s ‘I fhall 
y that prince to the confulfhip. 
an’s death, he held the honourable and important office o 
commander of the guards of the palace, or, as this office 
was called, ‘count of eftics.’? 
ah was — to 
) 
vpon oath, that ad been een ary or privy to the 
- death of Num ela he caufed Aper to be feized, reproached 
him in bitter terms with ae murder of hi eand fon-i 
law; and then defcending from the tribunal, plunged his lpi 
in his breaft; faying, ‘* You shall have the honour, Aper, 
fall by an iliuftrious hand.”? Thus, it is faid, he fulfilled ‘the 
¢ 
DIO 
aero of the age ue bie ash re a al ; 
h 
erefore, on feein Ling, out, ¢ 
ae mere killed the a ba 1» The epo pees of Dioclehaw a 
proclamation at Chalcedon — a new era, for an account 
of which fee Dioclefi via an ape 
Dioclefian made his aa ae any into Nicomedia on the 
27th of September of this year, 28 e year 
commanded the — Ze 
fian war in a conte the infamous Carinus, brother of 
Numerian, who spdcusoured to aie his legal title to the’ 
is occafion the troops under his command 
fuffered a defeat, nes Dioclefian phe gar both of the pur 
ple and of life. the advantaze which Carinus had ob- 
tained by the alae af his wee he ee lo& by the in- 
delity of his office At whofe wife he had fe- 
duced, feized the ona a Of ence and, by a fingle 
blow, ‘extinguithed civil difcord in the bload of the adulierer. 
After the advantage thus cate his conduét was fingularly 
mild and alee le. e not only pardoned ali who ha 
borne arms againft him , hom he juftly thought 
able for pie ferved a prince whofe title was fo legitimate 
as that of Carinus; but he ‘alfo continued in their pofts and’ 
dignities thofe who had been promoted by his enemy. Mo- 
tives of policy might, indeed, on this occafion, affift fhe hu- 
flan. a difcerning judgment of Aurelian, 
8, had filled the Cveral departments. 
officers of approved merit, whofe 
removal wouid have inane’ the public fervice, without pro- 
moting the intereft of the fucceffor, Such-a conduct, how- 
ever, difplayed to the Roman world the re profpe& of 
affecte confirm this 
] 
o 
a 
Ps 
imitating ee humane'philofophy of Stee eg Antoninus, This 
is the account of Aurejius Vidor; but Eutropius afferts 
a he was steel by his own ated. and killed by Dio- 
clefian. 
When Dioclefian found himfelf, by the death of his rival, 
fole mafter of the empire, he marched to“Rome, and, being 
acknowledged there, he fpent the winter at Nicom ‘dia. - In 
the mean w 
n irruption 
In the fame year his generals fought with fuc 
cefs againft the inhabitants of Britain, who had : attempted. S 
fhake off the yoke. On account of : efe vi€iories he af. 
a the appellation of Germanicus and Britannicus, which 
find o edals, From pees he returned through 
Migs — the eaft; for he was at Sirmium on the firft 
day of the following year, aad at Nicomedia on the 21ft of 
January. In the courfe ie this year, VIZ April 1, 286, 
n the ancient coins M. Aurelius 
military talents and bold enterprizing Ce es Diocletian 
himfeif was lefs a warrior than a ftatefman, nor doe em 
to have poffeffed the daring and generous {pirit re a oes 
me, difdains eee “ gee 
n he ha 
oala: difpo- 
fition and general charater; his fidelity and che ent he 
had long experienced; and he was fufficiently affured that 
he would ferve the purpofes for which he was appointed, 
and, 
