124
DIVISION OE THE PROVINCES.
of the third decennium he died. He reserved for the senate,
pro forma, a privilege which subsequently became its chief
function. The senate had formerly been the supreme court of
justice in crimes against the state; and this odious part of its
functions Augustus left to it, being afraid of taking it upon
himself. The senate had now nothing to do with taxation;
Augustus alone had it in his power to diminish or increase the
taxes throughout the empire. Italy itself was exempt from the
land tax, like the baronial estates in many modern countries;
but it had to pay various indirect taxes, and many others, as,
for example, those on bequests and manumissions. Just as
the hereditary Statt-Iiolder in Holland, who was captain-general
and admiral-general, and often acted contrary to the intentions
of the states-general, so Augustus was the commander of all
the armies: he had 43, or, according to a more correct calcu-
lation, 47 legions9, besides innumerable auxilia of the Boman
armies, which, together with the legions, amounted to about
450,000 men. Over these forces the senate had not the least
control, not even over the levying of the troops. The division
of the provinces was made in such a manner that those in
which no regular armies were kept, and therefore did not be-
long to the military state (Italy, as the country of the sove-
reign people was of course excepted from all these regulations),
were assigned to the senate; whereas, those in which armies
were stationed belonged to Augustus. The senate thus ob-
tained Asia, Africa (so far as it did not belong to Juba), Gallia
Narbonensis, Hispania Baetica, Achaia, Macedonia, Bithynia,
Cyprus, Cyrene, and Crete10 ; while Augustus reserved for
himself by far the larger and wealthier portion of the empire,
all Spain, with the exception of Baetica, Gallia Lugdunensis
and Aquitania, RaetiajVindelicia, Dalmatia, Pannonia (Thrace
was governed by a king), Moesia, Pontus (Cappadocia also was
governed by a king), Cilicia, Syria, and Egypt. His provinces
yielded un incomparably larger revenue than those of the
senate, but it may nevertheless have been insufficient to main-
tain the armies which were stationed in fortified camps in those
provinces. Two of the senatorial provinces were proconsular, the
others propraetorian provinces. At first, no one could draw lots
9 Appian,De Bell. Civil, v. 127. Compare Sucton. August. 47; Dion Cass.
Iiii. 12, Lv. 23, foil.; Strabo, xvii. p. 840.
10 See a more detailed account in Strabo, xvii. in fin., and Dion Cass. Iiii. 12.
Inteenal eegulations.
125
for such a province till five years after lie had. held the consulship
or praetorship, which qualified him for undertaking the adminis-
tration of such a province; but this was subsequently altered.
Augustus made many salutary regulations to control the arbi-
trary proceedings of the governors of provinces, at least, so far
as his own provinces were concerned, and probably also in those
of the senate. Among other wise regulations, he introduced
the custom of giving a fixed salary to the governors of pro-
vinces.11 The governors of the emperor’s provinces, who were
taken indiscriminately from among the senators, consulars,
praetorians, or équités, bore the title of Iegati Augusti ; accord-
ing to inscriptions and coins their official title was Iegati pro
praetore, or pro consuls, &c. The governors of the senatorial
provinces held their office according to the ancient custom only
for one year; but the Iegati Augusti held theirs for an indefi-
nite period, of four, five, or even ten years; their posts were
also more lucrative. These regulations were very beneficial to
the provinces, although those governed by a vicegerent of the
emperor were, on the whole, much better off than the senato-
rial provinces. But, although things went on improving,
accusations of malversation in the senatorial provinces occur as
late as the second century, probably in consequence of their
governors not being so well paid as the Iegati Augusti. In
reality, however, this arrangement about the provinces was
only a farce, for which the subjects had to pay dearly.
Augustus also established a twofold aerarium, one for the
senate, the other for the emperor; but whether the emperor
had any control over that of the senate is not clear. This is
one of the many questions which are yet obscure.
Among his precautionary measures, I may mention the lex
Aelia Sentia, which put a stop to the disgracefid system of
manumission, whereby the lowest slaves were incorporated
with the citizens.12 The Roman citizens were then widely
diffused over various parts of the empire ; the franchise was no
longer confined to Italy, for the inhabitants of Gallia Narbon-
ensis, for instance, of many towns in Spain, and of other coun-
tries, Ivereinpossessionofit; Suchprovincialcitizens, however,
could not become members of the senate, though there were
exceptions, for some had been admitted into the senate even
11 Dion Cassius-. Iii- 23, foil., Iiii. 15; Tacitus, Agric. 42.
12 Sueton. August. 40; Dion Cassius, lv. 13; Gaius, i. 38, foil.