(an abbreviated form of providentia) seems, as to its original meaning, to indicate a duty, or a matter entrusted to one; but is generally applied to a territory beyond Italy, which had a regular organization and was under Roman administration. The Roman state in its ultimate development consisted of two parts, with a separate organization,—Italia and the Provinciae. There were of course no provinces in this sense of the word until Rome had extended her conquest beyond the confines of Italy. Sicily was the first Roman province, B.C. 241, and Sardinia was the second, B.C. 235; and Gallia Ulterior, in Cesar's time, is called in the Commentaries simply by the name Provincia; whence the modern term Province.

When a country was conquered it received its provincial organization either from the Roman commander, or from a body of senators assisted by that commander. Praetors were at first appointed to the oversight of provinces; but subsequently they received those governments upon the expiration of their official year at Rome, and were called proprators. In later times of the republic the consuls were appointed to provinces in a similar way, with the title of proconsules. Such provinces received the designation of Consulares. Their term of office as governor of the provincia was usually a year, but it was frequently prolonged. There was no pay attached to the office, but certain expenses were provided for out of the Erarium. A considerable change was made by Augustus on the administration of the provinces. Where a large military force was necessary, he took charge of the province himself, and left the others to the care of the Roman Senate and people. The provinciae were accordingly divided into propriae Populi Romani and proprie Cesarii,—a distinction which was observed till the third century.

The Roman provinces, as enumerated by Sigenius down to the battle of Actium, are as follows:—Sicilia, Sardinia et Corsica, Hispania Citerior et Ulterior, Gallia Citerior, Gallia Narbonensis et Comata, Illyricum, Macedonia, Achaia, Asia, Cilicia, Syria, Bithynia et Pontus, Cyprus, Africa, Cyrenaica et Crete, Numidia, Mauritania. Those of a newer date were, according to the same writer, Rhaetia, Noricum, Pannonia, Moesia, Dacia, Britannia, Mauritania Cesariensis and Tingitana, Egyptus, Cappadocia, Galatia, Rhodus, Lycia, Commagene, Judaea, Arabia, Mesopotamia, Armenia, Assyria. Under Augustus, Gallia was divided into the four provinces of Narbonensis, Celtica or Lugdunensis, Belgica, and Aquitania. It should be observed that one marked distinction between the administration of Italy and that of the provinces was, that in Italy the towns had magistratus and jurisdicition, while in the provinces, except where the Jus Italicum had been granted, the governor alone had jurisdicition. Under the imperial rule, however, a greater uniformity was introduced; and ultimately the whole of Italy was under a provincial form of government. (See Sigenius, De Antiquo Jure Provinciorum, lib. i.-iii.; the works of Gottingen and Walter; and a judicious article by George Long in Smith's Dictionary of Greek and Roman Antiquities, 1851.)