Roman province
Categories: Ancient Roman provinces | Historical regions
In Ancient Rome, a province (Latin, provincia, pl. provinciae) was the largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's foreign possessions (those beyond the Italian peninsula). The word province in modern English has its origins in the term used by the Romans.
Provinces were generally governed by politicians of senatorial rank, usually former consuls or former praetors. A later exception was the province of Egypt, incorporated by Augustus after the death of Cleopatra: it was ruled by a governor of equestrian rank only, perhaps as a discouragement to senatorial ambition.
Under the Roman Republic, the governor of a province was appointed for a period of one year. At the beginning of the year, the provinces were distributed to future governors by lots or direct appointment. Normally, the provinces where more trouble was expected — either from barbaric invasions or internal rebellions — were given to former consuls, men of the greatest prestige and experience. The distribution of the legions across the provinces was also dependent of the amount of danger that they represented. In 14 AD, for instance, the province of Lusitania had no permanent legion but Germania Inferior, where the Rhine frontier was still not pacified, had a garrison of four legions. These problematic provinces were the most desired by future governors. Problems meant war, and war always brought plunder, slaves to sell and opportunities for enrichment. Sicilia (the island of Sicily) constituted the first Roman province from 241 BC, having been progressively conquered by the Republic during the First Punic War (264–241 BC).
The number and size of provinces changed according with internal Roman politics. During the Empire, the biggest or more garrisoned provinces (example Pannonia and Moesia) were subdivided into smaller provinces in order to prevent the situation whereby a sole governor held too much power in his hands, thus discouraging ambition for the Imperial throne itself.
With the formation of the Principate after the civil wars which ended the Roman Republican period, Augustus retained the power to choose governors for the provinces in which he and his successors held supreme military and administrative control. Thus the more strategically critical provinces, generally located along the contested borders of the Empire, became Imperial provinces. The remaining provinces were maintained as Senatorial provinces, in which the Senate had the right to appoint a governor.
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List of Republican provinces
- 241 BC Sicilia, propretorial province
- 231 BC Corsica et Sardinia, propretorial province
- 197 BC Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior, propretorial provinces
- 167 BC Illyricum, propretorial province
- 146 BC Macedonia-Achaea, propretorial province
- 146 BC Africa proconsularis, proconsular province
- 129 BC Asia (province), proconsular province
- 120 BC Gallia Transalpina (later Gallia Narbonensis), propretorial province
- 81 BC Gallia Cisalpina, propretorial province
- 74 BC Bithynia, propretorial province
- 74 BC Cyrenaica et Creta, propretorial province
- 64 BC Cilicia et Cyprus, propretorial province
- 64 BC Syria, propretorial province
- 30 BC Aegyptus , propretorial province, getting a special governor styled Praefectus augustalis
- 29 BC Moesia, propretorial province
List of Roman provinces in 120 AD
- Hispania Baetica
- Lusitania
- Hispania Tarraconensis
- Gallia Narbonensis (the Roman province; the term persists in the medieval and modern name Provence)
- Gallia Aquitania
- Gallia Lugdunensis
- Gallia Belgica
- Britannia
- Germania Inferior
- Germania Superior
- Raetia
- Italia
- Sicilia
- Corsica et Sardinia
- Alpes Poeninae
- Alpes Cottiae
- Alpes Maritimae
- Noricum
- Pannonia
- Dalmatia
- Dacia
- Moesia
- Thracia
- Macedonia
- Epirus
- Achaea
- Asia
- Bithynia
- Galatia
- Lycaonia
- Lycia
- Pisidia
- Pamphylia
- Cilicia et Cyprus
- Cappadocia
- Pontus
- Armenia Inferior
- Sophene
- Osroene
- Commagene
- Syria
- Iudaea
- Arabia Petraea
- Aegyptus
- Cyrenaica (including Creta)
- Numidia
- Africa
- Mauretania
- Baleares (province)
List of Roman Provinces from c. 300 to 476 AD
The emperor Diocletian introduced a radical reform known as the Tetrarchy (284-305), with a western and eastern Augustus or senior emperor, each seconded by a junior emperor (and designated successor) or Caesar, and each of these four defending and administering a quarter of the empire. The scheme was not to last in detail, but the four parts were restored in 318 by the emperor Constantine the Great in the form of what he termed 'praetorian prefectures' (whose holders generally rotated frequently, as in the usual magistracies). Constantine also created a second capital, known as New Rome or Constantinople, and each of these two cities had its own governor or Praefectus Urbi. In general, between the acclamation of Diocletian and the formal end of the western Empire in 476, the Empire was recognised as being divided into two, with separate Emperors for the Eastern and Western halves.
Diocletian set up 12 dioceses (each under a Vicarius). Three more were created by splits in the fourth century (in the Western empire Italia was split in two and in the east Egypt was detached from Oriens).
Detailed information on these arrangements is contained in the Notitia Dignitatum (Record of Offices), a document dating from the early 5th century. It is from this authentic imperial source (except for an occasional spelling mistake or omission in the process of copying) that we draw most data, as the names of the areas governed and titles of the governors are given there. There are however debates about the source of the data recorded in the Notitia, and it seems clear that some of its own sources are earlier than others.
It is interesting to compare this with the list of military territories in the article Dux (listing both Duces, in charge of border garrisons, and the higher ranking Comites rei militaris, with more mobile forces).
Praetorian prefecture of the Gauls
Diocese of Britain
Diocese of Gaul
This diocese covered about half of the Gallic provinces of the early empire, viz what is now northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, those parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine, and parts of Switzerland:
- Alpes Penninae et Graiae
- Belgica I
- Belgica II
- Germania I
- Germania II
- Lugdunensis I
- Lugdenensis II
- Lugdunensis III
- Lugdunensis IV
- Maxima Sequanorum
Diocese of Viennensis
Named after the city of Vienna city (now Vienne), and entirely in present-day France
- Viennensis
- Alpes Maritimae
- Aquitanica I
- Aquitanica II
- Novempopulana
- Narbonnensis I
- Narbonnensis II
In the fifth century Viennensis was replaced by a diocese of Septem Provinciae with similar boundaries.
Diocese of Hispania
- Baetica
- Baleares
- Carthaginiensis
- Tarraconensis
- Gallaecia
- Lusitania
- Mauretania Tingitana or Hispania Nova
Praetorian prefecture of Italy and Africa (western)
Diocese of Italia annonaria
This name refers to reliance on the area for the provisioning of Rome.
Diocese of Italia suburbicaria
The name refers to its nearness to Rome.
- Campania
- Tuscania et Umbria
- Picenum Suburbicarium
- Apulia et Calabria
- Bruttia et Lucania
- Samnium
- Valeria
It includes the islands:
Diocese of Africa
(note above that the western most part of north Africa was in the diocese of Hispania))
Prefecture of Illyricum (originally eastern)
Prefecture of Illyricum was named after the former province of Illyricum (dissolved in 10 AD). The Prefecture of Illyricum originally included two dioceses: the Diocese of Pannonia and the Diocese of Moesia. The Diocese of Moesia was later split into two dioceses: the Diocese of Macedonia and the Diocese of Dacia.
Diocese of Pannonia
This was one of the two dioceses in the eastern quarters of the tetrarchy not belonging to the cultural Greek half of the empire (the other was Dacia), and was transferred to the western empire in 395.
Diocese of Dacia
The Dacians had lived in the Transylvania area, annexed to the Empire by Trajan. However, during the invasions of the third century Dacia was largely abandoned. Inhabitants evacuated from the abandoned province were settled on the south side of the Danube and their new homeland renamed Dacia accordingly. The diocese was transferred to the western empire in 384 by Theodosius I, probably in partial compensation to the empress Justina for his recognition of the usurpation of Magnus Maximus in Britain, Gaul and Spain.
Diocese of Macedonia
The Diocese of Macedonia was transferred to the western empire in 384 by Theodosius I, probably in partial compensation to the empress Justina for his recognition of the usurpation of Magnus Maximus in Britain, Gaul and Spain.
- Macedonia Prima
- Macedonia Salutaris (or Macedonia Secunda)
- Thessalia
- Epirus vetus
- Epirus nova
- Achaea
- Creta
Prefecture of Oriens ('the East')
As the rich home territory of the eastern emperor, the Eastern prefecture would persist as the core of the Byzantine Empire long after the fall of Rome. Its pretorian prefecture would be the last to survive.
Diocese of Thrace
The eastern-most corner of the Balkans and the hinterland of Constantinople.
Diocese of Asiana
Asia (or Asia Minor) in antiquity stands for Anatolia; this diocese centred on the earlier Roman province of Asia, and only covered the rich western part of the peninsula, mainly near the Aegean.
... and the adjoining (now mostly Greek) Aegean islands in the aptly named province Insulae
Diocese of Pontus
The name is latinized from Greek Pontos: the name of a Hellenistic kingdom derived from Pontos (Euxinos), i.e. the (Black) Sea.
- Bithynia
- Galatia
- Paphlagonia
- Honorias
- Galatia Salutaris
- Cappadocia I
- Cappadocia II
- Helenopontus
- Pontus Polemoniacus
- Armenia I
- Armenia II
Diocese of Oriens
The Eastern diocese comprised mainly the modern Arabic Machrak (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Palestine/-Israel and Jordan) except for the desert hinterland:
- Iudaea Province (after the Romans crushed Bar Kokhba's revolt they renamed it into Palestina):
- Palestina I
- Palestina II
- Palestina Salutaris
- Syria
- Syria Salutaris
- Phoenicia
- Phoenicia Libani
- Eufratensis
- Osroene
- Mesopotamia
- Arabia
Further it contained the southeastern coast of Asia Minor ...
... and one adjoining island:
Diocese of Egypt
Egypt, the rich granary and traditional 'pharaonic' crown domain of the emperors, was the only diocese (created by a split from Oriens) that was not under a vicarius, but whose head retained the unique title of Praefectus Augustalis. All but one, the civilian governors were of the modest rank of Praeses.
- Aegyptus specifically came to designate Lower Egypt, previously two provinces, named after the pagan titles of the two emperors under Diocletian : Aegyptus Iovia (from Juppiter, for the Augustus; with the metropole Alexandria) and Aegyptus Herculia (for his junior, the Caesar; with ancient Memphis)
+Augustamnica is a part of the delta (thirteen 'cities'), split off ? - the only Egyptian province under a Corrector (lowest ranking governor)
- Thebais is Upper Egypt; Nubia south of Philae had been abandoned to tribal people
- Arcadia ... (not Arcadia in Greece)
Apart from modern Egypt, it also comprises the former province of Cyrenaica, being the east of modern Libya (an ancient name for the whole African continent as well), split in two provinces, each under a praeses again :
(Tripolitania, western Libya, was part of the western diocese of Africa; the desert tribes of Phazania, modern Fezzan, in the south, remained outside)
External link
- http://www.livius.org/gi-gr/governor/provinces.html
- Map of the Roman Empireca:Administració provincial romana
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