The Emperor, the Senate, and the Provinces standardviewimpliesthattherewereinprincipletwoadministrativehier-
archies,twoseparateladdersofresponsibility.Legatesareseenassomething
lessthanfullgovernorsoftheirprovinces,asessentiallyagentsoftheEm-
peror.Proconsulsareheldtobe,normally,independentoftheEmperorbut
‘‘responsible’’totheSenate.ItisimpliedthattheEmperornormallyconfined
himselftomakingregulationsfortheimperialprovinces,andtheSenatefor
thepublicprovinces.OnlyinexceptionalcircumstanceswouldanEmperor
interveneinapublicprovince.
Inexaminingthevalidityofthisviewwecannot,itisclear,expectmuch
enlightenment from the three passages in ancient authors which describe
thedivisionoftheprovincesin.Allreporttheofficialexplanationofthe
division,theretentionofpotentiallydangerousprovincesbytheEmperor;
Strabo(and,lessclearly,Suetonius)makestheprincipaldistinctionthatof
the type of governor sent; Dio alone says that the Emperor was to ‘‘rule’’
(archein)hisprovinces.StraboandSuetoniussaynothingfurtheraboutthe
administrativeconsequencesofthedivision.Diodoesgivemoredetail,in
theextensivegeneralanalysisoftheimperialregimewhichheattachestohis
accountofthesettlementof.^4 Totakethequestionanyfurther,wemust
dolikewise,andexaminetheevidenceavailableonthedifferencesbetween
thetwotypesofprovinceandtherelationtothemoftheEmperorandthe
Senate.
ProconsulsandLegati Augusti pro Praetore
Thetwotypesofgovernorwereappointedinquitedifferentways,andcer-
tain formal distinctions were maintained between them. Proconsuls were
assignedtoprovincesbylot.^5 Theyassumedtheirofficialdress(insignia)on
leaving thepomeriumand retained them until their return, and could per-
formnon-contentiousjudicialactsonthewaytoandfromtheirprovinces.^6
Theydidnotwearmilitarydressorasword,hadthenumberoflictorscor-
respondingtotheirrankasex-praetororex-consul,andgovernedforone
yearonly.^7
Legati Augusti pro praetore(legatesofAugustuswithpraetorianrank)were
appointed by the Emperor and served until replaced; they assumed their
. SeeF.Millar,A Study of Cassius Dio(),–.
. Inexceptionalcircumstances,whicharenotinquestionhere,theymightbespecially
appointedbytheEmperorortheSenate,orprolongedformorethanoneyear.
. Pliny,Epp.,;Dig.,,.
. Dio,,–.