Staying in Diocletian's Palace
Split, Croatia
April 28-30, 2023
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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.
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