Fleets and Prouinciae in the Roman Republic : institutions, administration and the conceptualisation of empire between 260 and 49 B.C
This research examines how, when and why the Romans assigned and defined the tasks of preparing and commanding fleets during the Republic. In doing so, it brings new evidence to bear on the wider debates about the nature of the prouincia and the institutional and administrative development of the Roman empire. The communis opinio is that a prouincia originally represented a functional âsphere of operationâ that was allotted or assigned to a magistrate and that it only later developed a geographical meaning with territorial connotations through the process of âprovincialisation.â This research challenges that view through an analysis of the evidence for the definition, assignment and practical use of the prouincia classis and other prouinciae connected with the command of fleets. Drawing upon and analysing the lists of administrative arrangements to be found in the âannalisticâ sections of the surviving books of Livyâs History, it argues that prouinciae were defined in specific geographical and functional terms long before the development of permanent territorial empire. This offers a new perspective which points to and elucidates the flexible use of the prouincia as a means of separating magistrates
Day, Simon Christopher
History ; History of the ancient world ; Roman History ; Roman provinces ; prouincia ; provincia ; prouinciae ; provinciae ; Roman imperialism ; Roman navy ; Roman fleets ; Roman triumph ; naval triumph ; Roman Senate ; Roman Republic ; Roman magistrates ; Roman promagistrates ; imperium ; ancient Mediterranean ; ora maritima ; Pompey ; Pompeius ; Antonius Creticus ; Lex Porcia ; terra marique ; extraordinary commands ; special commands
Fleets and Prouinciae in the Roman Republic : institutions, administration and the conceptualisation of empire between 260 and 49 B.C. This research examines how, when and why the Romans assigned and defined the tasks of preparing and commanding fleets during the Republic. In doing so, it brings new evidence to bear on the wider debates about the nature of the prouincia and the institutional and administrative development of the Roman empire. The communis opinio is that a prouincia originally represented a functional âsphere of operationâ that was allotted or assigned to a magistrate and that it only later developed a geographical meaning with territorial connotations through the process of âprovincialisation.â This research challenges that view through an analysis of the evidence for the definition, assignment and practical use of the prouincia classis and other prouinciae connected with the command of fleets. Drawing upon and analysing the lists of administrative arrangements to be found in the âannalisticâ sections of the surviving books of Livyâs History, it argues that prouinciae were defined in specific geographical and functional terms long before the development of permanent territorial empire. This offers a new perspective which points to and elucidates the flexible use of the prouincia as a means of separating magistrates
roman_republic institution administration conceptualisation empire examines romans assign defined task prepare command fleet republic bring_new evidence bear wider_debate nature institutional administrative development roman_empire originally represent functional sphere operation allot assign magistrate later developed geographical meaning territorial connotation process challenge_view analysis evidence definition assignment practical use connect command fleet drawing_upon analyse list administrative arrangement find annalistic section survive book livy history argue define specific geographical functional term long development permanent territorial empire offer_new perspective point elucidate flexible use mean separate magistrate