By Elis Buba / usalbanianmediagroup.com
Throughout the later centuries of the Roman Empire, the Balkan Peninsula—specifically the provinces of Illyricum and Moesia—emerged as a key source of military and political leadership. Two of Rome’s most influential emperors, Diocletian and Constantine the Great, were born in this region and are widely believed to have had Illyrian origins. Their ties to this land not only shaped their own identities but also influenced the structure and direction of the empire they ruled.
Diocletian and His Illyrian Awareness
Diocletian (r. 284–305 AD) was born in Salona, near present-day Split in Croatia, within the Roman province of Dalmatia—home to many Illyrian tribes. Numerous historical sources refer to him as being of Illyrian origin. Scholar Simon Corcoran notes that Diocletian was consciously aware of the strategic and cultural significance of Illyricum and actively integrated it into his vision for imperial restoration. Under his rule, a large number of emperors and military leaders hailed from Illyricum, reflecting his trust in the region’s human resources.
Illyricum served as a crucial military recruitment base, producing a series of distinguished commanders, many of whom rose to the rank of Augustus or Caesar. Diocletian's reforms and reliance on Illyrian-born officers helped stabilize the empire during a time of severe crisis.
Constantine the Great and His Illyrian Ties
Constantine the Great (r. 306–337 AD) was born on February 27, 272 AD in Naissus (modern-day Niš, Serbia), located in Upper Moesia—a Roman province that included Dardania, heavily inhabited by Illyrian tribes. His father, Constantius Chlorus, was a Roman officer and later emperor with strong ties to the region. Constantine’s mother, Helena, was of humble provincial origin, possibly from Drepanon in Bithynia, another area influenced by Illyrian settlement.
Constantine spent much of his youth at Diocletian’s imperial court in Nicomedia (modern-day Izmit, Turkey). Following his victory over rival emperors Licinius and Galerius, he emerged as the sole ruler of the Roman Empire. In 313 AD, he issued the Edict of Milan, granting official recognition to Christianity—a turning point in Roman religious history.
In 330 AD, Constantine relocated the empire’s capital from Rome to Byzantium, renaming it Constantinople (“City of Constantine”). The new city featured majestic structures—libraries, baths, fountains, a hippodrome, and grand forums. One of the main public squares, the Forum of Constantine, featured a monumental column bearing his statue crowned with the rays of the sun, a nod to ancient solar cults, including Sol Invictus, the “Unconquered Sun.”
The Strategic and Cultural Role of Illyricum
During the third century, Illyricum played a decisive role in the survival and revival of the Roman Empire. As internal crises mounted, the empire leaned heavily on the military might and leadership emerging from the region. Illyrian-born commanders became emperors, governors, and reformers, reinforcing the region’s growing influence.
Historical accounts also suggest that Constantine the Great preserved symbolic connections to ancient Illyrian and Pelasgian beliefs. Symbols such as the sun, the goat, and the serpent, held sacred in local tradition, featured prominently in his iconography. Even as Constantine embraced Christianity, his faith retained elements of these older cults, blending tradition with transformation.
Following Constantine, other emperors of Illyrian descent, such as Justinian the Great, continued to shape the Eastern Roman (Byzantine) Empire. Constantinople, the city founded by Constantine, remained an imperial capital for over a millennium until its fall to the Ottomans in 1453. Even then, the city’s name lived on as “Konstantiniyye”—the City of Constantine.
Conclusion
Based on historical and archaeological evidence, it is reasonable to conclude that Emperor Diocletian had Illyrian origins and was fully conscious of his ethnic background. Similarly, Constantine the Great, born in a region deeply embedded in Illyrian culture, maintained a likely ethnic and cultural connection to the Illyrians. The prominence of Illyricum in the military and political hierarchy of the Roman Empire highlights the vital role this region—and its people—played in shaping imperial destiny during one of the most turbulent yet transformative eras of Roman history.