There are very few cities so strongly connected with only one person who is not just a mythology or literature character, like it's a case with Split. Roman Emperor Diocletian, and he is the one we are talking about, is completely real, and unbreakably bonded with the city which was founded within his retirement palace. We might even say that it's perfectly OK that city turned out a few hundred years after Diocletian died. If he didn't choose that particular spot on the peninsula south-western from Salona to build his mixture of villa and military camp, it would be hard to expect anything would have been built there any time later. After all, by all the standards of the age Salona had far better position to be a well-developed city than a peninsula beneath the hill which future generations will call Marjan.

Starting this Friday, August 28, Diocletian will rule Split again. Of course, it will be one of those re-enactment of the past times usual on every spot anywhere in the world where history is worthy of such events. It all looks like just another fun time for tourist hordes? Well, even if it is, why that would be a problem?

In short, from 28 to 31 August Split will live in its Roman times again, but also with all the fun modern age can bring. There will be gladiators' fights, parades, dance, concerts, feasts, etc. It's just a part of what we can expect in those three days. There will even be one real musical dedicated to the life of this great Roman Emperor. After all, check the event's program here and find something for yourself. Or, at least you can try to understand why Diocletian, as the legend says, had well prepared answer when he was invited to return to the throne: "If you saw what kind of cabbage I'm growing here, you would have never called me back to Rome."