List of Late Roman provinces

List of Late Roman provinces
This article presents a list of Roman provinces in the Late Roman Empire, as found in the Notitia Dignitatum.
Praetorian prefecture of Gauls
In Latin, Gallia was also sometimes used as a general term for all Celtic peoples and their territories, such as all Brythons, including Germanic and Iberian provinces that also had a population with a Celtic culture. The plural, Galliarum in Latin, indicates that all of these are meant, not just Caesar's Gaul (several modern countries).
Diocese of Gallia
Gallia covered about half of the Gallic provinces of the early empire:
in what is now northern and central France, roughly the part north of the Loire (called after the capital Lugdunum, modern Lyon)
Belgica II
Lugdunensis I
Lugdunensis II
Lugdunensis III
Lugdunensis IV Senonia
in Belgium, Luxembourg, part of present-day Netherlands (below the Rhine), on the left bank (west) of the Rhine
Germania II
Belgica II
in what are now parts of France and Germany on the western bank of the Rhine
Belgica I
Belgica II
Germania I
Germania II
in what are now parts of France and Switzerland:
Alpes Poeninae et Graiae
Maxima Sequanorum
Diocese of Viennensis
Viennensis was named after the city of Vienna (now Vienne), and almost entirely in present-day France, roughly south of the Loire. It was originally part of Caesar's newly conquered province of Transalpine Gaul, but a separate diocese from the start.
Viennensis
Alpes Maritimae
Aquitanica I
Aquitanica II
Novempopulana
Narbonensis I
Narbonensis II
In the fifth century, Viennensis was replaced by a diocese of Septem Provinciae ('7 Provinces') with similar boundaries.
Diocese of Hispania
Hispania was the name of the whole Iberian Peninsula. It covered Hispania and the westernmost province of Roman Africa:
Baetica
Hispania Balearica (the Mediterranean islands)
Carthaginiensis
Tarraconensis
Gallaecia
Lusitania
Mauretania Tingitana or Hispania Nova, in North Africa
Diocese of Britannia
Maxima Caesariensis
Valentia
Britannia Prima
Britannia Secunda
Flavia Caesariensis
Praetorian prefecture of Italy and Africa (western)
Originally there was a single diocese of Italia, but it was eventually split into a northern section and a southern section. The division of Italy into regions had already been established by Aurelian.
Diocese of Italia suburbicaria
Suburbicaria indicates proximity to Rome, the Urbs (capital city). It included the islands, which were previously considered outside Italy.
Campania
Tuscania et Umbria
Picenum Suburbicarium
Apulia et Calabria
Bruttia et Lucania
Samnium
Valeria
Corsica
Sicilia
Sardinia
Diocese of Italia annonaria
Annonaria refers to a reliance on the area for the provisioning of Rome. It encompassed northern Italy and Raetia.
Venetia et Histria
Aemilia
Liguria
Flaminia et Picenum Annonarium
Alpes Cottiae
Raetia I
Raetia II
Diocese of Africa
Africa included the central part of Roman North Africa:
Africa or Zeugitana
Byzacena
Mauretania Caesariensis
Mauretania Sitifensis
Numidia
Tripolitania
Praetorian Prefecture of Illyricum
The Prefecture of Illyricum was named after the former province of Illyricum. It originally included two dioceses, the Diocese of Pannonia and the Diocese of Moesia. Constantine I later split the Diocese of Moesia into two dioceses: the Diocese of Macedonia and the Diocese of Dacia.
Diocese of Pannonia
Pannonia was one of the two dioceses in the eastern quarters of the Tetrarchy not belonging to the cultural Greek half of the empire (the other was Dacia); It was transferred to the western empire when Theodosius I fixed the final split of the two empires in 395.
Dalmatia
Noricum Mediterraneum
Noricum Ripense
Pannonia Prima
Pannonia Secunda
Savia
Valeria Ripensis
Diocese of Dacia
The Dacians had lived in the Transylvania area, annexed to the Empire by Trajan. However, during the invasions of the third century Dacia was largely abandoned. Some inhabitants evacuated from the abandoned province settled on the south side of the Danube. They renamed their new homeland Dacia to diminish the impact that abandoning the original Dacia had on the Empire's prestige. The diocese was transferred to the western empire in 384 by Theodosius I, probably in partial compensation to the empress Justina for his recognition of the usurpation of Magnus Maximus in Britannia, Gaul and Hispania.
Dacia Mediterranea
Dacia Ripensis
Moesia Prima
Dardania
Praevalitana
Diocese of Macedonia
The Diocese of Macedonia was transferred to the western empire in 384 by Theodosius I, probably in partial compensation to the empress Justina for his recognition of the usurpation of Magnus Maximus in Britannia, Gaul and Hispania.
Macedonia Prima
Macedonia Salutaris (or Macedonia Secunda)
Thessalia
Epirus vetus
Epirus nova
Achaea
Creta
Praetorian Prefecture of Oriens
As the rich home territory of the eastern emperor, the Oriens ("East") prefecture would persist as the core of the Byzantine Empire long after the fall of Rome. Its praetorian prefect would be the last to survive, but his office was transformed into an essentially internal minister, stripped of its original military function.
Diocese of Thrace
Thrace was the easternmost corner of the Balkans (the only part outside the Illyricum prefecture) and the European hinterland of Constantinople.
Europa
Thracia
Haemimontus
Rhodope
Moesia II
Scythia
Diocese of Asiana
Asia (or Asia Minor) in Antiquity stood for Anatolia. This diocese (the name means 'the Asian ones') centred on the earlier Roman province of Asia, and only covered the rich western part of the peninsula, mainly near the Aegean Sea.
Asia
Hellespontus (i.e. near the Sea of Marmara, so closest to Greece)
Pamphylia
Caria
Lydia
Lycia
Lycaonia
Pisidia
Phrygia I Pacatiana · Phrygia II Salutaris
the adjoining Aegean islands in the province Insulae
Diocese of Pontus
Pontus is the Latinized form of Greek Pontos, the name of a Hellenistic kingdom, which in turn is derived from the Euxine Pontus, the Greco-Roman name of the Black Sea.
It mainly contains parts of Asia minor near those coasts (as well as the mountainous centre), but also includes the north of very variable border with Rome's enemy Parthia/Persia.
Bithynia
Galatia I · Galatia II Salutaris
Paphlagonia
Honorias
Cappadocia I · Cappadocia II
Helenopontus
Pontus Polemoniacus
Armenia I · II, III · IV added at the time of Justinian
Diocese of Oriens
The Eastern diocese shared its geographic name with the prefecture it belonged to, even after it lost its richest part, Egypt, becoming a separate diocese; but militarily crucial on the Persian (Sassanid) border and unruly desert tribes.
It comprised mainly the modern Arabic Mashriq (Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Israel, the Palestinian Territories and Jordan) except for the desert hinterland:
Arabia
Palaestina I
Palaestina II
Palaestina Salutaris
Syria I
Syria II
Phoenice I · Phoenice II Libanensis
Euphratensis
Osroene
Mesopotamia
Further it contained the southeastern coast of Asia Minor and the close island of Cyprus
Cilicia I · Cilicia II
Isauria
Cyprus
Diocese of Aegyptus
This diocese, comprising northeastern Africa—mainly Egypt, the rich granary and traditional personal domain of the emperors—was the only diocese that was not under a vicarius, but whose head retained the unique title of Praefectus Augustalis. It was created by a split of the Diocese of Oriens.
All but one, the civilian governors were of the modest rank of Praeses provinciae.
Aegyptus (in a narrow sense) came to designate Lower Egypt around Alexandria. Originally it was named Aegyptus Iovia (from Jupiter, for the Augustus Diocletian). Later it was divided into two provinces.
Augustamnica was the remainder of Lower Egypt, together with the eastern part of the Nile delta (13 'cities') – the only Egyptian province under a Corrector, a lower ranking governor. Originally it was named Aegyptus Herculia (for Diocletian's junior, the Caesar; with ancient Memphis). Later it was divided in two provinces
Thebais was Upper Egypt. Nubia south of Philae had been abandoned to tribal people. Later it was divided into two provinces, Superior and Inferior.
Arcadia (also Arcadia Ægypti; not to be confused with Arcadia in Greece)
Apart from modern Egypt, Aegyptus also comprised the former province of Cyrenaica, being the east of modern Libya (an ancient name for the whole African continent as well). Cyrenaica was split into two provinces, each under a praeses:
Libya Superior
Libya Inferior
See also
Laterculus Veronensis
References
Map of the Roman state according to the Compilation 'Notitia Dignitatum'
Lists of historical regions