τὰ μὲν οὖν μέρη τῆς καθʼ ἡμᾶς οἰκουμένης οὕτω διάκειται· ἐπεὶ δʼ οἱ Ῥωμαῖοι τὴν ἀρίστην αὐτῆς καὶ γνωριμωτάτην κατέχουσιν, ἅπαντας ὑπερβεβλημένοι τοὺς πρότερον ἡγεμόνας ὧν μνήμην ἴσμεν, ἄξιον διὰ βραχέων καὶ τὰ τούτων εἰπεῖν. ὅτι μὲν οὖν ἐκ μιᾶς ὁρμηθέντες πόλεως τῆς Ῥώμης ἅπασαν τὴν Ἰταλίαν ἔσχον διὰ τὸ πολεμεῖν καὶ πολιτικῶς ἄρχειν εἴρηται, καὶ διότι μετὰ τὴν Ἰταλίαν τὰ κύκλῳ προσεκτήσαντο τῇ αὐτῇ ἀρετῇ χρώμενοι. τριῶν δὲ ἠπείρων οὐσῶν τὴν μὲν Εὐρώπην σχεδόν τι πᾶσαν ἔχουσι πλὴν τῆς ἔξω τοῦ Ἴστρου καὶ τῶν μεταξὺ τοῦ Ῥήνου καὶ τοῦ Τανάιδος παρωκεανιτῶν, τῆς δὲ Λιβύης ἡ καθʼ ἡμᾶς παραλία πᾶσα ὑπʼ αὐτοῖς ἐστιν, ἡ δὲ ἄλλη ἀοίκητός ἐστιν ἢ λυπρῶς καὶ νομαδικῶς οἰκεῖται. ὁμοίως δὲ καὶ τῆς Ἀσίας ἡ καθʼ ἡμᾶς παραλία πᾶσα ὑποχείριός ἐστιν, εἰ μή τις τὰ τῶν Ἀχαιῶν καὶ Ζυγῶν καὶ Ἡνιόχων ἐν λόγῳ τίθεται, λῃστρικῶς καὶ νομαδικῶς ζώντων ἐν στενοῖς καὶ λυπροῖς χωρίοις. τῆς δὲ μεσογαίας καὶ τῆς ἐν βάθει τὴν μὲν ἔχουσιν αὐτοί, τὴν δὲ Παρθυαῖοι καὶ οἱ ὑπὲρ τούτων βάρβαροι, πρός τε ταῖς ἀνατολαῖς καὶ ταῖς ἄρκτοις Ἰνδοὶ καὶ Βάκτριοι καὶ Σκύθαι, εἶτʼ Ἄραβες καὶ Αἰθίοπες· προστίθεται δὲ ἀεί τι παρʼ ἐκείνων αὐτοῖς. ταύτης δὲ τῆς συμπάσης χώρας τῆς ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίοις ἣ μὲν βασιλεύεται, ἣν δʼ ἔχουσιν αὐτοὶ καλέσαντες ἐπαρχίαν, καὶ πέμπουσιν ἡγεμόνας καὶ φορολόγους. εἰσὶ δέ τινες καὶ ἐλεύθεραι πόλεις, αἱ μὲν ἐξ ἀρχῆς κατὰ φιλίαν προσελθοῦσαι, τὰς δʼ ἠλευθέρωσαν αὐτοὶ κατὰ τιμήν. εἰσὶ δὲ καὶ δυνάσται τινὲς καὶ φύλαρχοι καὶ ἱερεῖς ὑπʼ αὐτοῖς· οὗτοι μὲν δὴ ζῶσι κατά τινας πατρίους νόμους.
Such, then, is the disposition of the parts of the world which we inhabit. But since the Romans have surpassed (in power) all former rulers of whom we have any record, and possess the choicest and best known parts of it, it will be suitable to our subject briefly to refer to their Empire.
It has been already stated how this people, beginning from the single city of Rome, obtained possession of the whole of Italy, by warfare and prudent administration; and how, afterwards, following the same wise course, they added the countries all around it to their dominion.
Of the three continents, they possess nearly the whole of Europe, with the exception only of the parts beyond the Danube, (to the north,) and the tracts on the verge of the ocean, comprehended between the Rhine and the Tanaïs (Don).
Of Africa, the whole sea-coast on the Mediterranean is in their power; the rest of that country is uninhabited, or the inhabitants only lead a miserable and nomade life.
Of Asia likewise, the whole sea-coast in our direction (on the west) is subject to them, unless indeed any account is to be taken of the Achei, Zygi, and Heniochi, who are robbers and nomades, living in confined and wretched districts. Of the interior, and of the parts far inland, the Romans possess one portion, and the Parthians, or the barbarians beyond them, the other; on the east and north are Indians, Bactrians, and Scythians; then (on the south) Arabians and Ethiopians; but territory is continually being abstracted from these people by the Romans.
Of all these countries some are governed by (native) kings, but the rest are under the immediate authority of Rome, under the title of provinces, to which are sent governors and collectors of tribute; there are also some free cities, which from the first sought the friendship of Rome, or obtained their freedom as a mark of honour. Subject to her also are some princes, chiefs of tribes, and priests, who (are permitted) to live in conformity with their national laws.
αἱ δʼ ἐπαρχίαι διῄρηνται ἄλλοτε μὲν ἄλλως, ἐν δὲ τῷ παρόντι ὡς Καῖσαρ ὁ Σεβαστὸς διέταξεν. ἐπειδὴ γὰρ ἡ πατρὶς ἐπέτρεψεν αὐτῷ τὴν προστασίαν τῆς ἡγεμονίας, καὶ πολέμου καὶ εἰρήνης κατέστη κύριος διὰ βίου, δίχα διεῖλε πᾶσαν τὴν χώραν καὶ τὴν μὲν ἀπέδειξεν ἑαυτῷ τὴν δὲ τῷ δήμῳ, ἑαυτῷ μὲν ὅση στρατιωτικῆς φρουρᾶς ἔχει χρείαν· αὕτη δʼ ἐστὶν ἡ βάρβαρος καὶ πλησιόχωρος τοῖς μήπω κεχειρωμένοις ἔθνεσιν ἢ λυπρὰ καὶ δυσγεώργητος, ὥσθʼ ὑπὸ ἀπορίας τῶν ἄλλων ἐρυμάτων δʼ εὐπορίας ἀφηνιάζειν καὶ ἀπειθεῖν, τῷ δήμῳ δὲ τὴν ἄλλην ὅση εἰρηνικὴ καὶ χωρὶς ὅπλων ἄρχεσθαι ῥᾳδία· ἑκατέραν δὲ τὴν μερίδα εἰς ἐπαρχίας διένειμε πλείους, ὧν αἱ μὲν καλοῦνται Καίσαρος αἱ δὲ τοῦ δήμου. καὶ εἰς μὲν τὰς Καίσαρος ἡγεμόνας καὶ διοικητὰς Καῖσαρ πέμπει, διαιρῶν ἄλλοτε ἄλλως τὰς χώρας καὶ πρὸς τοὺς καιροὺς πολιτευόμενος, εἰς δὲ τὰς δημοσίας ὁ δῆμος στρατηγοὺς ἢ ὑπάτους· καὶ αὗται δʼ εἰς μερισμοὺς ἄγονται διαφόρους, ἐπειδὰν κελεύῃ τὸ συμφέρον. ἀλλʼ ἐν ἀρχαῖς γε διέθηκε ποιήσας ὑπατικὰς μὲν δύο, Λιβύην τε ὅση ὑπὸ Ῥωμαίοις ἔξω τῆς ὑπὸ Ἰούβᾳ μὲν πρότερον νῦν δὲ Πτολεμαίῳ τῷ ἐκείνου παιδί, καὶ Ἀσίαν τὴν ἐντὸς Ἅλυος καὶ τοῦ Ταύρου πλὴν Γαλατῶν καὶ τῶν ὑπὸ Ἀμύντα γενομένων ἐθνῶν, ἔτι δὲ Βιθυνίας καὶ τῆς Προποντίδος· δέκα δὲ στρατηγικάς, κατὰ μὲν τὴν Εὐρώπην καὶ τὰς πρὸς αὐτῇ νήσους τήν τε ἐκτὸς Ἰβηρίαν λεγομένην, ὅση περὶ τὸν Βαῖτιν ποταμόν, καὶ τῆς Κελτικῆς τὴν Ναρβωνῖτιν, τρίτην δὲ Σαρδὼ μετὰ Κύρνου, καὶ Σικελίαν τετάρτην, πέμπτην δὲ καὶ ἕκτην τῆς Ἰλλυρίδος τὴν πρὸς τῇ Ἠπείρῳ καὶ Μακεδονίαν, ἑβδόμην δʼ Ἀχαΐαν μέχρι Θετταλίας καὶ Αἰτωλῶν καὶ Ἀκαρνάνων καί τινων Ἠπειρωτικῶν ἐθνῶν ὅσα τῇ Μακεδονίᾳ προσώριστο, ὀγδόην δὲ Κρήτην μετὰ τῆς Κυρηναίας, ἐνάτην δὲ Κύπρον, δεκάτην δὲ Βιθυνίαν μετὰ τῆς Προποντίδος καὶ τοῦ Πόντου τινῶν μερῶν· τὰς δὲ ἄλλας ἐπαρχίας ἔχει Καῖσαρ, ὧν εἰς ἃς μὲν πέμπει τοὺς ἐπιμελησομένους ὑπατικοὺς ἄνδρας, εἰς ἃς δὲ στρατηγικούς, εἰς ἃς δὲ καὶ ἱππικούς· καὶ βασιλεῖς δὲ καὶ δυνάσται καὶ δεκαρχίαι τῆς ἐκείνου μερίδος καὶ εἰσὶ καὶ ὑπῆρξαν ἀεί.
The division into provinces has varied at different periods, but at present it is that established by Augustus Caesar; for after the sovereign power had been conferred upon him by his country for life, and he had become the arbiter of peace and war, he divided the whole empire into two parts, one of which he reserved to himself, the other he assigned to the (Roman) people. The former consisted of such parts as required military defence, and were barbarian, or bordered upon nations not as yet subdued, or were barren and uncultivated, which though ill provided with everything else, were yet well furnished with strongholds. and might thus dispose the inhabitants to throw off the yoke and rebel. All the rest, which were peaceable countries, and easily governed without the assistance of arms, were given over to the (Roman) people. Each of these parts was subdivided into several provinces, which received respectively the titles of provinces of Caesar and provinces of the People.
To the former provinces Caesar appoints governors and administrators, and divides the (various) countries sometimes in one way, sometimes in another, directing his political conduct according to circumstances.
But the people appoint commanders and consuls to their own provinces, which are also subject to divers divisions when expediency requires it.
(Augustus Caesar) in his first organization of (the Empire) created two consular governments, namely, (1.) the whole of Africa in possession of the Romans, excepting that part which was under the authority, first of Juba, but now of his son Ptolemy; and (2.) Asia within the Halys and Taurus, except the Galatians and the nations under Amyntas, Bithynia, and the Propontis. He appointed also ten consular governments in Europe and in the adjacent islands. Iberia Ulterior (Further Spain) about the river Baetis and Celtica Narbonensis (composed the two first). The third was Sardinia, with Corsica; the fourth Sicily; the fifth and sixth Illyria, districts near Epirus, and Macedonia; the seventh Achaia, extending to Thessaly, the Aetolians, Acarnanians, and the Epirotic nations who border upon Macedonia; the eighth Crete, with Cyrenaea; the ninth Cyprus; the tenth Bithynia, with the Propontis and some parts of Pontus.
Caesar possesses other provinces, to the government of which he appoints men of consular rank, commanders of armies, or knights; and in his (peculiar) portion (of the empire) there are and ever have been kings, princes, and (municipal) magistrates.
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