This nearly led the Roman Empire to collapse under the pressures of plague, economic depression, civil war, and invasion. In the years 284-305, competition from ambitious generals and so-called emperors was responsible for the political crisis of the third century. Emperor Diocletian temporarily restored political stability throughout the Roman Empire. Diocletian also recognized the administration and appointed a co-emperor with two assistants and subsequently regained the social stability of the Roman Empire which proved more difficult to achieve. This was due to Christians who were polytheistic followers. It was the polytheistic cults who believed that it was divine anger which was at the origin of the crisis. It was Diocletian who convinced his co-rulers that they must persecute Christians, who he believed were the ones who would.