DIOCLESIAN

DIOCLESIAN, the Roman emperor: see (History of) ROME. His bloody persecution of the Christians forms a chronological era, called the era of Dioclesian, or of the martyrs. It was for a long time in use in theological writings, and is still followed by the

Dioctahedria the Copts and Abyssinians. It commenced Aug. 29th, A. D. 284.