视听文本

Each of the four emperors had his own capital and his own court, close to the hot spots on the Roman frontier,
每个皇帝都有自己的首都和宫廷，在靠近罗马边境的热点地区，
which excluded by the way Rome herself the plan was that the Augustii would retire at the same time,
并且按照计划主皇帝在退位的同时，
each would be replaced by his Caesar.
将权力移交凯撒。
The two new Augustii would each pick a new Caesar and the Tetrarchy would just keep rolling along, in theory.
两位新的主皇帝又会选出新的凯撒，四帝共治制就会这样理论上一直延续下去。
The Tetrarchy was a well-intentioned attempt to divide the ruling responsibility of the empire.
四帝共治制是一次划分帝国统治权的出发点很好的尝试。
It was an attempt to ensure the succession of qualified emperors.
也试图确保继任者都是有资质的皇帝。

As long as Diocletian himself was one of the Augustii it worked well.
但这个制度仅仅是在戴克里先自己在位期间得到良好的效果。
But the plan was far too complicated to survive his retirement.
戴克里先退位后，这个制度就过于复杂，难以延续了。
The tetrarchy's only lasting effect was foreshadowing the ultimate division of the Roman world into eastern and western empires.
四帝共治制也使得东罗马帝国和西罗马帝国最终永远地划分开来。
Finally Diocletian wanted the economy to support his approach to government.
戴克里先还希望经济能够支持自己的行政手段。
He first tried to reform currency and that did not work.
他首先试着改革货币，但并未见效。
He next fixed wages and prices on pain of death, this also failed.
接着他又冒险固定了工资和物价，但这也以失败告终。
Finally he wound up taxing the masses in labor, in money and by taking their possessions.
最后他只能向大众收税，剥削他们的劳动力，钱财，没收他们的财产。
Landowners and tradesmen were obliged to stay in their livelihoods so they could not escape their share of the tax burden;
地主和商人都不得改变自己的生机，因而也不能逃脱缴税的重担。
in that regard at least Diocletian was an equal opportunity tyrant.
在这方面看来，戴克里先至少是一个实行机会平等的暴君。
The elaborate economic rules and regulations was overseen by a bloated expensive bureaucracy locking the government into a vicious circle and marking the first step of western society into feudalism.
详尽的经济规则并未得到监督，因为官僚机构肿胀，政府陷入恶性循环，标志着西方社会迈入封建社会的第一步。
The bureaucracy also was responsible for governing the Dioces each of which was made up of several provinces.
罗马的官僚机构也负责管理教区，每个教区由数个行省构成。
Instead of letting the major cities of a region rule the surrounding countryside
戴克里先并没有让每个地区的主要城市来管理周边的农村地区，
everybody was responsible to the Diocican vicar who was appointed by Diocletian.
而是亲自指派了教皇代理。
Needless to say this vicar put his god and master's best interest ahead regardless what it meant for Rome or the Roman people.
不用说，教皇代理并不会顾及罗马或是罗马人民的利益，只会把自己的神和主人的利益放在第一位。
The layers upon layers of bureaucracy added nothing to the tax revenues and even less to the security of the empire.
一层又一层的官僚机构对税收毫无贡献，对帝国的安全更是毫无建树。

视频及简介

课程介绍:

本课程对罗马帝国和前苏联的兴衰进行回顾，探讨它们历史变迁的内在规律，并将现代的超级大国——美国与它们进行比较，从而作出对未来可能的一些预测。

原声视频：