PROVINCIA, pro-vin'-a-a, the sphere of ac tion, or the territory of the jurisdiction of a Roman magistrate ; .thus, the jurisdiction of the Praetor Urbanus was Promncia Urbana. The conquests of Rome were, as they were obtained, mapped out as so many Provincim, each with a governor (see PR&TOR) ; but towards the close of the Republic the Provinces, which had greatly increased, were divided annually by the Senate into two classes,—the Constildres and PrateYeliz; and as it had then become customary for both Consuls and Prmtors to remain for their year of office in the city, they were, at the end of the year, reinvested with the hapirium (military command), and proceeded to govern, as Proconsul or Pre fircetor respectively, the provinces allotted. Within each Province the governor was supreme in military and civil affairs : he was assisted in deciding appeals from the local tribunals by a board of assessors, Consitium ; and every year he made a judicial circuit of the districts into which, for legal purposes, his Province was divided. The same taxes were levied by the Romans in a Province as its own govern ment, when independent, had imposed on exports, imports, mines, salt-works, &c. ; and the Provincials had also not only to paya land tax (all the land being, theoretically, confis cated, and becoming, on the Roman conquest. Ager Publicus, but being left in the hands of its owners for a moderate land-tax) and a pro perty-tax (tribatunz), levied from each person in proportion to his means, and fixed by a provincial census, but they were liable to various arbitrary demands, e.g,, providing winter quarters for troops, equipping or main taming fleets, affordingsupplies for the governor and his retinue, &c. all which might be abused by the governor, and made engines of intimi dation or extortion. Some provincial cities enjoyed special immunities (see Socii). The fifteen Provinces under the Republic, with the dates of their acquisition, were—Sicilia, the Carthaginian part 241 B.C., and the remainder aro : Sardinia, with 238 ; Hispania Citeriorand Hispania Ulterior, both probably in zo6 ; Macedonia, 146; Illyricum (or Dal matia), 46; Africa, 246; Asia, 129; Gallia Transaltina (or Narbonensis), 221 ; Gallia Cisaltina, some time after too ; Achala, some time after x46; Cilicia, before 8o ; Bithynia, 74; Syria, 64 ; Creta, with Cyrenaica, 63. Under the Empire the Provinces were re-divided into inzirirrito ria, under the sole control of the emperor, and Seruitir'ria, under the Senate's ' administration. The Imperial comprised those
on the frontiers, where large armies were re quired, and these troops and Provinces were under generals, Lega'ti Cez/saris (or A ugus'Ii), named by the emperor as the generalissimo, and the revenueswere collected by an imperial agent (ProcareVtor Ciesaris), and paid into the emperor's private exchequer (Fiscus); and in some of the minor Provinces (as Judma) the Legate acted also as Procurator. The Sena tonal Provinces were those at a distance from any enemies, and where troops were required only for display or police purposes, and in every case the governor was styled a Proconsul, who held office for one 'and was attended by Qumstors to receive and pay the revenues into the public treasury (ardrium), which was managed by the Senate. Occasionally several provinces were grouped together, and their command was granted by the emperor and Senate conjointly to one individual ; e.g., all the East, under Tiberius, to Germanicus, and tinder Nero, to Corbffia, The Senatorial wet, twelve—Africa, Asia, Hisfianta Beefica, Gallia Narbonensis, Sicilia, Sardinia, I/lyric-um with Dalmatia, Macedonia, A chairs, Creta with Cyrenaica,Cyprus, Bithynia with Panties. The Imperial were also twelve Hiskvaa Lusitanica, Hispania Tarretconen sis, Gallia Lugdunensis, Gallia Belgica, Noricum, Pannonia, Vindelicia with /Mafia, Mauler, Allies Maritima, Cilicia, Galatia, Syria. Under Tiberius, Achala and Mace donia were held by the emperor, and Myriam with Dalmatia, was early transferred to the emperor. Rallawas a Province from Hadrian's reign. ee'Egy,atees was considered a private estate of the emperor, and was under a steward, Prafec'tus A ugusterlis, one of the equestrian order ; and senators and equites of the higher class were forbidden entering Egypt without first obtaining the express permission of the emperor, the reason assigned by Tacitus (Histaria, i. xi) being because it was a vine/am aditu almoner jecundain, superstition et lascivia discordem et mobilem, 1714C1011t lepten, ignarant magistratelerm and (Annales, ii. 59), " Ne „fame urgeret Bedlam, guisquis earn Provinciam Claus traque terree at marls, quanovis levi firasidio adversum ingentes exercitus, insedisset."