| Diocese of Moesia Dioecesis Moesiarum Διοίκησις Μοισίας | |
|---|---|
| Diocese of theRoman Empire | |
| ca. 293 – before 337 | |
 Roman Empire | |
| Historical era | Late Antiquity |
• Administrative reform | ca. 293 |
• Division in two dioceses | before 337 |
TheDiocese of Moesia (Latin:Dioecesis Moesiarum,Greek:Διοίκησις Μοισίας) was adiocese of the laterRoman Empire, in the area of modern westernBulgaria, centralSerbia,Montenegro,Albania,North Macedonia, andGreece.
The Diocese of Moesia was one of the twelvedioceses in whichDiocletian (284–305) divided theRoman Empire during his administrative reforms. It encompassed most of the ancient Greek andIllyrian lands, stretching from theCrete toDanube. During the time ofTetrarchy, the diocese was under the jurisdiction ofCaesarGalerius who kept it under his own control during much of his reign asAugustus (305-311). He died and was buried in the city ofFelix Romuliana, on the territory of the Diocese of Moesia.
The diocese was later split in two, forming theDiocese of Macedonia in the south and theDiocese of Dacia in the north, probably underConstantine I (r. 306–337), although the division is not attested until ca. 370. The two new dioceses were grouped into the newpraetorian prefecture of Illyricum in the second half of the 4th century, which essentially covered the same area as the Diocese of Moesia.[1]
After the administrative reforms of emperorDiocletian, the Diocese of Moesia was composed ofprovinces:[2][3]