IMAGE OF THE

GEOGRAPHICAL MAP OF THE

ROMAN EMPIRE

IMPERIAL PROVINCES
In the so-called Augustan Settlement of 27 BC, which established the Roman Empire, the governance
of the provinces was regulated. Gaius Julius Caesar Octavianus, having emerged from the Roman civil
wars as the undisputed victor and master of the Roman state, officially laid down his powers, and in
theory restored the authority of the Roman Senate. Octavian himself assumed the title "Augustus" and
was given to govern, in addition to Egypt, the strategically important provinces of Gaul, Hispania and
Syria (including Cilicia and Cyprus). Under Augustus, Roman provinces were classified as either public
or imperial, meaning that their governors were appointed by either the Senate or by the emperor.
Generally, the older provinces that existed under the Republic were public. Public provinces were, as
before under the Republic, governed by a proconsul, who was chosen by lot among the ranks of
senators who were ex-consuls or ex-praetors, depending on which province was assigned. The major
imperial provinces were under a legatus Augusti pro praetor, also a senator of consular or praetorian
rank. Egypt and some smaller provinces where no legions were based were ruled by a procurator

(praefectus in Egypt), whom the emperor selected from non-senators of equestrian rank. The status of
a province could change from time to time. In AD 68, of a total 36 provinces, 11 were public and 25
imperial.

SENATORIAL PROVINCES
A senatorial province was a Roman province during the Principate where the Roman Senate had the
right to appoint the governor. These provinces were away from the outer borders of the Roman
Empire and free from the likelihood of rebellion, and so had few, if any, legions stationed in them (thus
lessening the chance the Senate might try to seize power from the Emperor). They were often along
the Mediterranean Sea.
The provinces were grouped into imperial provinces and senatorial provinces shortly after the
accession ofAugustus.
In AD 14, the following provinces were EXAMPLES senatorial provinces.

Achaea

Africa
Asia

Bithynia et Pontus

Creta et Cyrenaica

Cyprus

CLIENT STATES
A client state is a state that is economically, politically, or militarily subordinate to another more
powerful state in international affairs. Ancient states such as Persia and Greek city-states would create
client states by making the leaders of that state subservient. Classical Athens, for example, forced
weaker states into the Delian League and in some cases imposed democratic government on them.
Later, Philip II of Macedon similarly imposed the League of Corinth. One of the most prolific users of
client states was Republican Rome[2][3] which, instead of conquering and then absorbing into an empire,
chose to make client states out of those it defeated (e.g.Demetrius of Pharos), a policy which was
continued up until the 1st century BCE when it became the Roman Empire. Sometimes the client was
not a former enemy but apretender whom Rome helped, Herod the Great being a well-known example.
The use of client states continued through the Middle Ages as the feudal system began to take hold.