Province of the Roman Empire. List of Roman provinces

Despite the fact that the Great Roman Empire has long ceased to exist, interest in this period of the ancient history of our world is not quenched. After all, it is the Romans who are the founders of modern law and jurisprudence, the constitutions of many European states, and their political treatises are still being studied in prestigious educational institutions around the world.

However, even the usual arrangement of this great state of the past is no less interesting. Do you know what the province of the Roman Empire is and how this territorial unit was formed? If not, then you should definitely read this article! Immediately warn that in the article we will talk about Rome as a single power. The division into the Eastern and Western empires occurred after the capture of the metropolis by the Visigoths and Ostrogoths.

General Definition

In the broad sense, "provinces" were understood as land granted to some top official of the empire in his sole control. This man within his land had the title imperio. But few people know that this word had four other meanings at once. Here they are:

• As in the previous case, a "province" could be called a special post. So, the title pr. Maritima meant that the person who had it had the responsibility of commanding the Roman fleet.
• The same status was in the person responsible for some important task. For example, pr. Frumentum curare was in charge of the delivery of bread.
• In addition, the "province" could even be called an enemy territory entrusted to some commander. The same Macedonia consulibus provincia decernitur, formed during the conquest of Greece.
• Finally, the so-called any newly conquered or sworn Roman area, on which Pax Romania, "the Roman order" is already established.

It should be noted that the Western Roman Empire preserved the administrative way of its ancestors. All that has been said here and in the future is entirely justified for the Byzantine basileus.

Further development of the "provincial" order

Already in the third century AD, the Romans began a rapid expansion, as a result of which the territory of the Roman Empire increased sharply, far beyond the Italian "boot". Soon all the lands that lay near the Mediterranean Sea had already turned into Roman provinces. Finally, 117 AD became the culmination of a series of military successes. The possessions of the empire became as extensive as possible. In total, the state included 45 provinces, not counting 12 regions in Italy itself.

How was the new province formed?

During the entire period of the conquests, a clear order was introduced for the "merging" of new regions with other provinces of the empire: first, the commander who seized the new land carried out a preliminary demarcation of it. Important! If the Western Roman Empire is being discussed, then it should be said that in its borders there was practically no such "initiative": all land operations were carried out exclusively with the knowledge and approval of the metropolis (Constantinople).

Legislative procedures

Commission of 10 people, appointed by the Senate, approved the "land plan", incidentally legalizing the edicts of the provisional ruler. These documents were immediately attached to the Senate orders and the provisions of local law (if it was). By the way, it is the preservation of local legislative acts that is the hallmark of the Roman state.

That is why any province of the Roman Empire (in the early period of the empire) in some ways was an independent state.

Intermediate period

Over time, the state grew stronger, and laws increasingly sought uniformity. The importance of local law quickly fell. More and more, "provincial statutes" are directly regulated by the Senate. Eventually local regulations began to regulate only common features of management, while all other issues were decided by Roman laws. Relations between Roman citizens, who were inhabited by the province of the Roman Empire, were governed by the edictum provinciale, the edict of the governor, who issued it immediately upon taking office.

"Edict" was valid only for the period of the governor's reign, but more often it happened that his predecessor in the document practically did not change anything. Management of the province was carried out by the forces of praetors, proconsuls and proprietors. They were assigned by Senta, and the people at these posts changed every year. If the circumstances so demanded, the term of office could be extended, but the Senate could take the decision on this matter.

The last years of the empire

In recent years, before the fall of Rome, the provinces were ruled by former consuls and praetors. They owned unlimited power in the controlled province. This explains how completely inadequate level of corruption, and complete incompetence of many managers who have made a career, using good connections with the governor. During this period, the same Syria, once the richest province of the Roman Empire, was practically plundered by its rulers, and a meager part of the collected taxes was going to the metropolis. All this only accelerated the coming collapse of the once great state.

List of Roman provinces and their years of origin

So, we list the main provinces, of which the Eastern Roman Empire was composed. The dating of their foundation is not through, as their conquests relate to different political periods in the history of the Roman state. The first "under the wing" of Rome rose Sicily, and after it - Sardinia and Corsica. This happened in 241 and 231 BC, respectively. After them, the Far and Near Spain were conquered.

There was it in 1976. d. E. It should be noted that 27 years before the beginning of our era from far Spain, the province of Lusitania was designated. Two years later, the country grew by the province of Galatia. As you can see, by the beginning of a new era the map of the Roman Empire impressed with its diversity. In 120 BC. E. Was conquered by Gaul of Narbonne. Aquitaine, the Belgian and Lugdun provinces and Numidia were annexed to Rome as early as the year 50 BC, but only in 17 AD became separate, full-fledged subjects of the empire. Provinces Retsiya and Norik - 15 year before the Nativity of Christ.

So, let's continue. The Alpes-Maritimes were annexed in the year 14 (the Cotian Alps became part of Rome only with the infamous Nero). About the time of the infusion into Rome of the Panin Alps is for sure not known, but we can assume that this happened not earlier than 200 years.

Upper and Lower Germany were conquered in 17 year. Approximately at the same time the province of Cappadocia was founded.

Britain The Eastern Roman Empire finally conquered only in 43, but the first outposts there were founded much earlier. Upper and Lower Pannonia were conquered in about 10 years. Initially they represented one province, but under the emperor Trajan (around 105) it was divided into two parts for the convenience of management. The same thing happened with Upper and Lower Misia. Conquered in 29, the division took place under Emperor Domitian, the date of this event remains unknown.

Militant Thrace became a Roman province in the year 46. Dacia followed her 100 years later, followed by Arabia, Armenia and Assyria. At the same time, Rome created a province with the name ... Asia. The Romans "mastered" Dalmatia between 159 and 169 years, and ten years before them the province of Africa was founded. Macedonia and Achaia were conquered about the same time (plus or minus ten years). The date of the emergence of the province of Epirus is not exactly known. The latest history of the Roman Empire says only that it happened under the emperor Vespasian.

Further "acquisitions"

Egypt fell in 30 BC. E. The history of the provinces of Vithia and Pont is interesting. Conquered for 74 years before Christ (along with the provinces of Crete and Cyrenaica), they were significantly expanded in just nine years. Finally, seven years after the beginning of our era, their territories once again significantly increased. Approximately the same story happened with Lycia and Pamphylia. The latter was conquered even before the year 25 BC, and the attack on Lycia was completed only in 43 AD. E.

The conquest of Cilicia stretched from 64 BC to 67 years after the birth of Christ. Cyprus and Syria were able to join at about the same time. Mesopotamia managed to be included in the state in 115, but a couple of years later the new province was lost. Return it was only half a century later.

We should complete our list of Tingitan and Caesarea Mauritania, which became part of the state 40 years after Christ. Thus, the history of the Roman Empire is inextricably linked with the conquest of new lands, through which the metropolis had the means both to continue expansion and to bribe particularly powerful enemies.