Roman province

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.

List of Roman provinces in 117 AD

1. Achaea
2. Aegyptus
3. Africa
4. Alpes Cottiae
5. Alpes Maritimae
6. Alpes Poeninae
7. Arabia Petraea
8. Asia
9. Baleares
10. Bithynia et Pontus (see Bithynia and Pontus)
11. Britannia
12. Cappadocia
13. Cilicia
14. Creta et Cyrene (see Cyrenaica, Crete)
15. Cyprus
16. Dalmatia
17. Epirus
18. Galatia
19. Gallaecia
20. Gallia Narbonensis
21. Gallia Aquitania
22. Gallia Belgica
23. Gallia Lugdunensis
24. Germania Inferior
25. Germania Superior
26. Hispania Baetica
27. Hispania Tarraconensis
28. Italia
29. Iudaea
30. Lusitania
31. Lycia
32. Macedonia
33. Mauretania Caesarensis
34. Mauretania Tingitana
35. Moesia Inferior
36. Moesia Superior
37. Noricum
38. Numidia
39. Pannonia Inferior
40. Pannonia Superior
41. Pontus et Bithynia (see Pontus, Bithynia)
42. Raetia
43. Sardinia et Corsica (see Sardinia, Corsica)
44. Sicilia
45. Syria
46. Thracia

    List of Roman Provinces in 395 AD

    Prefecture of Gaul

    Diocese of Britannia

47. Maxima Caesariensis
48. Valentia
49. Britannia Prima
50. Britannia Secunda
51. Flavia Caesariensis

    Diocese of Gaul

52. Viennensis
53. Lugdunensis I
54. Lugdenensis II
55. Lugdunensis III
56. Lugdunensis IV
57. Germania I
58. Germania II
59. Belgica I
60. Belgica II
61. Alpes Penniae et Graiae
62. Maxima Sequanorum
    

    Diocese of Vienne

63. Viennensis
64. Alpes Maritimae
65. Aquitanica I
66. Aquitanica II
67. Novempopulana
68. Narbonnensis I
69. Narbonnensis II

    Diocese of Spain

70. Baetica
71. Lusitania
72. Gallaecia
73. Tarraconensis
74. Carthaginiensis
75. Mauretania Tingitana or Hispania Nova
76. Baleares

    Prefecture of Italy

    Diocese of Italy

77. Venetia and Istria
78. Aemilia
79. Liguria
80. Flaminia and Picenum Annonarium
81. Alpes Cottiae
82. Raetia I
83. Raetia II

    Diocese of Rome

84. Campania
85. Tuscania et Umbria
86. Picenum Suburbicarium
87. Sicilia
88. Apulia et Calabria
89. Bruttia et Lucania
90. Samnium
91. Sardinia
92. Corsica
93. Valeria
    

    Diocese of Pannonia

94. Pannonia Prima (I)
95. Pannonia Secunda (II)
96. Pannonia Savia
97. Pannonia Valeria ripensis
98. Dalmatia
99. Noricum mediterraneum
100. Noricum ripense
     

     Diocese of Africa

101. Africa (province)
102. Byzacium
103. Numidia
104. Tripolitania
105. Mauretania Sitifensis
106. Mauretania Caesariensis
     

     Prefecture of Illyricum

     Diocese of Dacia

107. Dacia mediterranea
108. Moesia I
109. Praevalitana
110. Dardania
111. Dacia ripensis

     Diocese of Macedonia

112. Macedonia
113. Creta
114. Thessalia
115. Epirus vetus
116. Epirus nova
117. Macedonia Salutaris
118. Achaea

     Prefecture of the East

     Diocese of Thracia

119. Europe
120. Thracia
121. Haemimontium
122. Rhodope
123. Moesia II
124. Scythia

     Diocese of Asia

125. Pamphylia
126. Caria
127. Lydia
128. Lycia
129. Lycaonia
130. Pisidia
131. Phrygia Pacatiana
132. Phrygia Salutaria
133. Asia
134. Hellespontus

     Diocese of Pontus

135. Bithynia
136. Galatia
137. Paphlagonia
138. Honorias
139. Galatia Salutaris
140. Cappadocia I
141. Cappadocia II
142. Helenopontus
143. Pontus Polemoniacus
144. Armenia I
145. Armenia II

     Diocese of the East

146. Palestine I
147. Palestine II
148. Palestine Salutaris
149. Cilicia I
150. Cilicia II
151. Syria
152. Syria Salutaris
153. Cyprus
154. Phoenicia
155. Phoenicia Libani
156. Eufratensis
157. Osrhoene
158. Mesopotamia
159. Isauria
160. Arabia

     Diocese of Aegyptus

161. Libya Superior
162. Libya Inferior
163. Thebais
164. Aegyptus
165. Arcadia
166. Augustamnica
     

     External link

     
     : http://www.livius.org/gi-gr/governor/provinces.html