Roman Provinces

[Guest skiboarder16yea]

Hello everyone.. im new to this forum. I have a question or two. What would you consider the major provinces of the ancient roman empire? All responses will be appreciated! thanks!

-Tom

[Honorius]

IMHO i believe that Aegyptus was a major province as it provided an extremely large amount of grain to Rome and the Empire

[Legatus Legionis]

The provinces along the Rhine-Danube frontier were some of the most important. There were a number of emperors who were placed on the imperial throne by the legions of this region. Not to mention that this was the largest concentration of imperial forces and after the invasions of the mid-3 century was the most prominent recruiting ground.

[Primus Pilus]

Hello everyone.. im new to this forum. I have a question or two. What would you consider the major provinces of the ancient roman empire? All responses will be appreciated! thanks!

-Tom

 

Most of the empire's wealth came from the east and to be named governor of Asia Minor was considered the pinnacle of a Senatorial career (which also meant that they had been a Consul as it was a proconsular province). Aegyptus and Africa were both important sources of grain with Aegyptus being the personal possession of the 'emperor', and Africa the only province with a legion that in theory was under the direct control of the Senate. Achaea, and within it the city of Athens, was still the center of Greco-Roman culture.

 

Almost every province had an economic contribution of some sort, with places like Britannia, Hispania, Dacia etc being important sources of mineral wealth. Frontier provinces like Germania, Pannonia, Moesia, Thracia, etc. were important as military buffer zones utilizing the natural borders of the Rhine and Danube to establish the empire's outer boundaries.

 

Essentially, it comes down to, what is your criteria for major?

[FLavius Valerius Constantinus]

So if you were made governor of Britannia, by what standards were you a senator?

[Primus Pilus]

Britannia was also a proconsular position with 3 legions.

[Ursus]

It's difficult for me to compose a top ten list, but in general the Roman Empire was essentially a Mediterranean construction. Those provinces outside the Mediterranean may have contributed token economic elements or had some military significance, but they were still secondary.