Diocletian Retired To Grow Cabbages

The first Roman emperor to voluntarily retire was Diocletian, who stepped down in AD 305 after a serious illness. He spent his retirement growing cabbages in his palace gardens on the Dalmatian coast. When urged to return to power in AD 308, he reportedly replied, "If you could see the cabbages I have planted here with my own hands, you surely would never have thought to request this."

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