The Roman provinces are, until the Tétrarchie towards 296, greatest administrative divisions of the ancient Rome apart from the Italian peninsula. They, generally, are directed by a governor.

Etymology

At the origin, Latin: provincia , pl. provinciae indicates the territory inside whose the Roman Sénat authorizes a higher magistrate to exert his Imperium ( provincial : to overcome, equivalent of our external Theater of operations).

Roman republic

Starting from 227 av. J. - C. the term provincia takes the direction of a command out of Italy then possession of the Roman people out of Italy. The provinces are organized under the terms of a Lex provincialis , proposed by the victorious Roman general.

Initially, the government is allotted to a Préteur elected by the Roman people, for one year. Then governors of the magistrates left load are named, for which the Promagistratures are created: Propréteur S and proconsul S. In 81, Sylla only restricts the provincial governments with the promagistrats.

The function is not remunerated, but it brings back nevertheless money. Abuses were made and gave place to lawsuits like that of the Sicilians against Verrès, or with revolts as in Asia.

Creation of provinces under the Republic

Note: PC : province controlled by a proconsul; PP : province controlled by a propréteur.

Worsen Roman

Under the Principat of Auguste, on January 16th -27, the provinces were divided between the emperor and the Sénat, in imperial provinces ( provinciæ Cæsaris ), and provinces senatorial ( provinciæ Senatus and populi ). With the wire of the territorial conquests and cuttings of the provinces, the new provinces were distributed between these two authorities. The Senate was traditionally seen allotting the pacified provinces in the past, which spared its prerogatives. The emperor, holder of the military capacity ( imperium majus ) reserved the provinces located at the borders of the empire which required the presence of the legions. It arrived several times that provinces change attribution: thus the Bétique, initially entrusted to the emperor, was reassigned with the Roman people towards -16/-13.

Provinces of the Roman people (known as senatorial)

The provinces that Auguste did not allot itself in 27 av. J. - C. are often called “senatorial”, because in fact their management depended primarily on the Senate. Name official and suitable is actually that of “provinces of the Roman people”, the Senate representing only the elite of the whole of the citizens. In 27 av. J. - C. these provinces were pacified, deprived of legions, their safety being ensured by the Glacis new imperial provinces. Only Africa made exception, keeping a legion in the area of Numidie.

The governors of the provinces of the Roman people were promagistrats (i.e. of former higher magistrates, always senators) named for one year by the Senate and carrying the title of proconsul or propretor. The attributation of these provinces was made by drawing lot with the Senate, but it was not rare that the emperor intervenes to break a designation or to influence a nomination. The majority of the provinces of the Roman people had at their head a propretor, but Africa - called “Africa proconsulaire” - and Asia, richer, were controlled by a proconsul. The prestige of these two provinces, as well as the great possibilities of enrichment which they represented, made some of the stations of end of a career par excellence: the government of Africa or Asia in general obteait about fifteen years after the consulate, and it was about the top of the career of a senator, with the prefecture of the City.

The governor was helped by one or more legatus pro praetore (legate pro-praetor) of row questorien (i.e. senators, named them also by the Senate). The emperor appointed nevertheless procurateurs in these provinces, for the management of his personal fields, the perception of certain taxes and the direction of the mines. The tax incomes of these provinces, extremely prosperous for the majority, fed the treasure of the Senate, the ærarium Saturni , which for Auguste still contributed to reconcile the Senate.

List of the senatorial provinces with died of Auguste (14 a. J. - C.) :

  • Provinces proconsulaires: Africa proconsulaire, Asia.
  • Provinces proprétoriennes: Narbonnese Bétique, Gaulle, Sicily, Macedonia, Achaïe, Cyprus, Crete and Cyrénaïque, Bithynie and Pont.

List of the imperial provinces to the Severe advent of Septime (193 a. J. - C.) :

  • Provinces proconsulaires: Africa proconsulaire, Asia.
  • Provinces proprétoriennes: Narbonnese Bétique, Gaulle, Sicily, Macedonia, Achaïe, Crete, Lycie and Pamphylie, Cyprus, Cyrénaïque.

Imperial provinces

These last, badly subjected or located at the borders of the Empire, had complete garrisons or armies, and the governors (the “Légat S of Auguste”) there represented the emperor. The attribution of the provinces to the various legates was made according to goodwill of the emperor, but complied with nevertheless certain rules:

  • the mandate of the governor did not have duration defines, and the emperor could shorten it or prolong it with his own way. It is observed however that the usual duration with the head of a province was three years.

  • In the most important provinces, in particular in richest or those which had important troops, the legate of Auguste was in general a senator and carried the title of legate propretor ( legatus Augusti pro praetore ). In general, the provinces little or not militarized, or having only one legion, were controlled by a legate propretor of Praetorian row (it was the case in the three provinces of the Gaules or in Lusitanie), while the provinces having two legions or more were controlled by a legate consular propretor of row (it was the case in the two provinces of Germanie or in the Pannonia S).
  • the provinces of small size, considered as less important and romanisées, which did not count auxiliary legions but only bodies, were controlled by a knight, bearing until under Claude the title of prefect, and thereafter that of Procurateur or praeses . These provinces are thus known as of row procuratorien or equestrian (it was by the case for the Norique or the Rhétie, at least during most of the High-Empire). Contrary to the senators, the prefect or equestrian procurator did not have the ius gladii (right of life and of died on Roman citizens), without the authorization of the emperor.
  • Egypt represented a case with share: since Actium (-31), she was regarded as a personal field of the emperor. She was controlled by an equestrian prefect of row (prefect of Egypt), at the same time governor and commander-in-chief of the legions. The senators were prohibited access to Egypt.
  • It frequently arrived that imperial provinces change row, in particular at the liking of the military needs: thus the Norique, province procuratorienne, with a legion into 169 becomes Praetorian province, under the reign of Marc-Aurèle.

List of the imperial provinces with died of Auguste (14 a. J. - C.) :

  • consular Provinces: Hispanie citérieure, It (or Dalmatie), Pannonia, Messiah, Syria.
  • Praetorian Provinces: Lyons Lusitanie, Gaulle Aquitanian, Gaulle, Gaulle Belgium, Galatie.
  • equestrian Provinces: The maritime Sardinia and Corsica, Alps, the grées Alps and pennines, Rhétie, Norique, Judaea.
  • Particular case: Egypt.

List of the imperial provinces to the Severe advent of Septime (193 a. J. - C.) :

  • consular Provinces: Hispanie citérieure, Brittany, Germanic higher and lower, Pannonies higher and lower, Dacies, Dalmatie, Messiahs higher and lower, Cappadoce, Syria, Syria-Palestine (old Judaea).
  • Praetorian Provinces: Numidie (military district), Lusitanie, Gaulle Aquitaine, Gaulle Lyons, Gaulle Belgium, Rhétie, Norique, Thrace, Bithynie and Pont, Galatie, Cilicie, Arabia.
  • equestrian Provinces: Maurétanies (tingitane and Cesarean), Sardinia, Corsica, provinces alpine (the maritime Alps, cottiennes, grées, pennines), Épire.
  • Particular case: Egypt.

Town and country planning

The administrative cutting of the provinces was supplemented by the organization of the essential networks for the communications: layout of news Roman ways, creation under Auguste of a network of imperial Post ( Course publicus ). Lastly, the emperors arranged these territories by many foundations of colony S.

Creations of new provinces

The creation of new provinces could be done in two manners: by conquest (for example that of Brittany starting from the reign of Claude and by dismemberment of existing provinces (for example dismemberment of the Messiah under Domitien).

Starting from Severe Septime, it did not have there any more creation of province by conquest, creations were done by dismemberment of existing provinces. Thus Septime Sévère divided it into two the provinces which had the most powerful armies: the Syria and the Brittany.

Dioclétien carried out a division of the provinces on the scale of all the empire towards 303. For example Gaulle Lyons was divided (in two stages) into four provinces (Lyons I, II, then III and IV), Gaulle Belgium was it in two provinces (I and II). This new system involved a notable increase in the number of the Roman provinces:

  • 210 a. J. - C.: 44 provinces;
  • 3rd century: 57 provinces;
  • 369 : 104 provinces;
  • 5th century: 120 provinces.

Reorganization of the provincial system to the the Lower Empire

See also: Dioceses of the Roman Empire

The system of the senatorial and imperial provinces formed a relatively light administrative framework, where the provincial cities enjoyed a rather broad autonomy. Sufficient when the pax romana reigned, it appeared problematic at the time of the crisis of the 3rd century: the taxation and the supply of the troops were to increase their output, and in addition the representatives of the Senate did not show, with some exceptions, the heat and the military competence awaited vis-a-vis the barbarians. As many Roman reforms, the evolution was pragmatic and progressive:

  • Gallien (260-268) limit more and more the access of the senators to the posts of legate of imperial province, and removes the command of legions to them. The legati Augusti , proconsuls or propréteurs, are more and more replaced by vice praeses , of equestrian row.
  • In 275, Tacit, named emperor by the Roman, opposite Senate the tendency and gives again with the senators the right to direct imperial provinces as proconsul.
  • In 282, Carus takes again the policy of Gallien excluding the senators from the provincial governments.

Dioclétien proceeds to a complete reorganization of the provincial system:

  • It completely separates the civil administration, entrusted to a civil governor, and the military command, allotted to a dux or to a comes , both dependant on the emperor and either on the Senate.
  • It subdivides the provinces in smaller units, almost doubling their number which exceeds 100.
  • the administrative system dioclétien is finally organized according to a diagram on three levels:
    • On the level low, provinces.
    • At the intermediate level, the Diocese S, 12, gathering the provinces
    • At the higher level, the prefectures of the court, 4, regrouping of dioceses.
  • the imperial administration approached the ground, at the price of an explosion of the number of its civils servant.
  • the provinces are entrusted, concerning the civil administration, either with consular (senator former consul), or with a praeses (knight). Some provinces are under the authority of a corrector of less row. Some preserve a primarily military administration, the functions of comes or dux and praeses being confused. Lastly, three provinces (Africa, Asia and Achaïe) are left under an administration proconsulaire depend on the Senate: for this reason, they in fact are located apart from the dioceses. Rome as for it (with its immediate surroundings) remains under the authority of the prefect of the City, consular senator of row.

The list of the provinces until in 30 a. J. - C., according to Velleius Paterculus; Velleius Paterculus makes known to us the list of the Roman provinces until in 30 a. J. - C. in its Roman Histoire in two books (translation P. Hainsselin and H. Watelet):

“XXXVIII. - It does not appear contrary with the plan of work that we proposed, to recall briefly here which people were made tributary and which nations reduced in provinces and which were the chiefs who overcame them. Thus these events that us announced to their place will appear more definitely as a whole.

The first which made pass an army in Sicily was the Claudius consul, but it is only after the catch of Syracuse, approximately fifty-two years later, which Marcellus Claudius made of Sicily a province. Régulus was the first which passed in Africa, which took place about the ninth year of the First Punic War. Two hundred and four years later, Publius Scipion Émilien, after having destroyed Carthage, reduced Africa in province, there is that hundred eighty-two years. Between the first and the second Punic War, the consul Titus Manlius who ordered the Sardinia then imposed him the Roman domination definitively. Here an undeniable proof of the quarrelsome character of our nation. The Temple of Janus to the two heads, of which closing is the unquestionable proof of peace, was closed only one first time under the kings, one second under this same consul Titus Manlius and a third under the principat of Auguste.

Cneius and Publius Scipion was the first to lead their armies in Spain; it was at the beginning of the Second Punic War, there is that two hundred and fifty years. Thereafter this country partially was occupied and often lost in turn. It is Auguste which made it tributary in its entirety.

The Macedonia was subjected by Paulus, the Achaïe by Mummius, the Étolie by Fulvius Nobilior. Asia was torn off with Antiochos III by Lucius Scipion, brother of Scipion the African, but by a liberality of the senate and the Roman people, it became soon possession of the dynasty of the Attales; finally Marcus Perpenna, after being itself seized Aristonicus, made it tributary. One can allot to nobody glory to have overcome Cyprus. It is indeed a decision of the Sénat whose exéution was entrusted to Caton, which made EC island a province, after its king committed suicide.

Our general Métellus punishes the Crete by removing the freedom to him which she had enjoyed so a long time. The provinces of Syria and the Pont are the witnesses of the value of Cneius Pompée. ”

“XXXIX. - The first which penetrated in Gaulle with an army were Domitius and the grandson of Paul-Emile, Fabius which accepted the nickname of Allobroge. A little later at the price of heavy losses, we on several occasions tried then given up the conquest of this country. But it is there that Jules César achieves his brightest exploit. Under his command and his auspices, Gaulle was overcome and it pays the same ashamed tribute as the rest of the world. César overcame also the Numidie.

Isauricus completed the conquest of the Cilicie and after the war of Antiochos III, Manlius Vulso completed that of the Galatie.

The Bithynie, as we said, was left in heritage by the will of Nicomède.

In addition to Spain and the other people with which the names decorate the forum that it builds, divine Auguste returned the tributary Egypt and paid with the treasure a sum almost equal to that which his/her father had brought de Gaulle.

Tibère César which had torn off with the Spaniards the final consent of their tender, tore off the same consent with the It NS and the Dalmates. The Rhétie, the country of the Vindélices, the Norique, the Pannonia, the country of the Scordisques was the new provinces which it arranged under our capacity. These people were overcome by the weapons. As for the Cappadoce, the fame of César is enough to make it tributary of the Roman people. ” -->

See too

Internal bonds

External bonds

  • the access to the Roman citizenship
  • capacity and administration under the Roman Empire, the government of the provinces
  • the representation of the Provinces on the currencies of the Roman empire

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