Original scientific paper
Toma Archdeacon, Diocletian, the Tetrarchs, the Diocletian Palace
Nenad Cambi
; Filozofski fakultet -Zadar, Odsjek za arheologiju
Abstract
The new, critical edition of writings of the Archdeacon Toma, the U/h centmy chronicler of Split, prepared in 2003 by O Peri(;, encouraged studying of his information on Diocletian, the tetrarchy and the Diocletian Palace. This is, in fact, a study of the Toma's perception of the emperor, his co-nt!ers and his edifice in Split.
While writing of the bishaps of Salona and Split, Toma must have come to Diocletian and his palace that gave shelter to the Salonitan refugees. The paper firstly a/wlyses hOU' Toma notes the empero/'~ name, origin and activities. Toma does noi state the emperor~ full imperial name formula. He obviously tries proving, conforming to Constantine Porphyrogenitus, that the emperor (named Dioklician by him) built the town Diaciea, named after him. To the contrary, Diocietian named himself after the toum of his origin This is an inve/'se reading of the info/'mation in the Epilotne de Caesaribus which states that Diocletian was born by his mother Diociea and in the town of Dioclea. lt is undoubted that both the information in Epitome and those in the Toma's writings relate to the town called Dokleja, in the present Mamenegro. How Porphyrogenitus made sucb an error remains unciear. The town name, thus, appeared in twu variants, Diok/eja being Ihe younger one. TlJe same phenomenon may be noted aboUl the town of Doclea in Asia Minor. It is wrong that Diocietian brought his mother to Salona to have vested upon her the administration of the enlire Dalmatia. Never in Ihe Roman history happened anything like this.
Keywords
Hrčak ID:
83083
URI
Publication date:
24.10.2003.
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