# The emperor who quit to grow vegetables

> Seventeen centuries ago, Rome's most powerful man chose simplicity over power. Modern psychology explains why.
- Title: The emperor who quit to grow vegetables · Psychologies
- Summary: Seventeen centuries ago, Rome's most powerful man chose simplicity over power. Modern psychology explains why. The desire to abandon complexity for a simpler…
- Keywords: diocletian, roman empire, voluntary abdication, simplicity, well-being, lifestyle change, psychology, voluntary simplicity, split croatia, dalmatia, emperor, quit
- Source: Psychologies — https://psychologies.com/moi/se-connaitre/Vous-revez-de-tout-plaquer-pour-une-vie-plus-simple-Il-y-a-1-700-ans-lhomme-le-plus-puissant-de-Rome-la-reellement-fait-640858
- Author: Nina Parage
- Published: 2026-09-20T12:01:08+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: diocletian, roman empire, voluntary abdication, simplicity, well-being, lifestyle change, psychology, voluntary simplicity, split croatia, dalmatia
## The fantasy everyone shares
Millions dream each year of quitting their jobs to live slower lives in the countryside. We think this urge is born from modern stress, but it's far older than that.
## Diocletian chose it for real
In 305 AD, the most powerful man in Rome, Emperor Diocletian, voluntarily abdicated after 21 years of rule to return to his native Dalmatia and live a simpler life.
## He grew vegetables in Split
Diocletian retired to a palace in Spalatum, modern-day Split, Croatia, where he famously cultivated vegetables. When former colleagues begged him to return to power, he refused, saying they should see his crops.

> If they could see the vegetables I make grow with my own hands, they would never make such a proposal.
## Why we crave simplicity
A study from the University of Otago surveyed over 1,000 people and found that those who practice voluntary simplicity report higher life satisfaction than those who pursue material accumulation and traditional success.
## It's not about having less
The real driver isn't owning fewer things. It's what simplicity enables: time for relationships, a sense of belonging, and the feeling of living a meaningful life rather than one dictated by performance and consumption.
## The need to reconnect
The urge to quit and start over signals a deeper need: reconnection with yourself and others. Diocletian understood this seventeen centuries before psychology could explain it.
## Key takeaway

The desire to abandon complexity for a simpler life isn't modern anxiety, it's a fundamental human need to reconnect with meaning, relationships, and time.