Staying in Diocletian's Palace
Split, Croatia
April 28-30, 2023
It must've taken real courage for Diocletian to give up the imperial throne and retire to this palace along the Dalmatian coast. Give up the throne and you also give up the protection of the legions. Without that protection, he and his family would be vulnerable to the many enemies that a Roman emperor makes every time he makes a decision.
So I was pleased to see that in addition to strong walls and a fortified gate on the landward side of the palace, and in addition to a small army that served as his security force, Diocletian also built the palace with an escape onto the Adriatic out the back way (see bottom picture). A man clever enough to know when to leave power is also clever enough to have an exit plan.
