This is how Italy was divided at the time of Augustus
Italy was the cradle of the Roman Empire and even today you can feel how much some things of today derive from what was done by this extraordinary people such as the 11 Augustus regions.
In fact you can see a marked similarity with what are the current Italian regions. Here you will discover what the Augustan regions are and you will get to know one of the most important and significant characters in history, Augustus.
But that’s not all, in fact you will also have a chance to know how the administration of the Roman Empire worked.
What are the 11 August regions?
You should know that during the government of Augustus between 27 A. C. and 14 D. C. the present Italy was divided into 11 different regions plus 3 provinces. The latter were Sicily, Sardinia and Corsica. The region called Regio XI Transpadana included the eastern part of today’s Piedmont and Lombardy.
The Regio IX called Liguria included the homonymous current region and the southernmost part of Piedmont. The easternmost part of Lombardy. South Tyrol and the Istrian peninsula were part of the Regio X called Venetia et Histria. Two regions that are substantially equal to those of today are the Regio VII Etruria and the Regio VIII Aemilia which are respectively the current Tuscany and Emilia Romagna. As for the territories of central Italy you should know that they were divided into 4 regions.
It was the Regio VI or Umbria and the current Marche the Regio V Picenum. Finally there were the Regio IV Samnio and the Regio I Lazio and Campania. The south of Italy was divided into Regio II and Regio III. The latter included the southern part of present-day Campania, Basilicata and Calabria while the former included part of Campania and the present-day Puglia.
But that’s not all, in fact you have to know that the city of Rome stood between three regions. It was Etruria, Samnio and finally Latium Campania.
The Age of Augustus: the 11 Augustean regions
The age of Augustus is undoubtedly one of the most important in history as he founded the Roman Empire that dominated the entire Mediterranean and that left a deep cultural imprint of which you can find signs in today’s society.
Born on 23 September 63 A. C. was orphaned at the age of 4 and was educated by Julius Caesar who took care of his cultural and military education. Julius Caesar succeeded in being elected absolute dictator and thus had total control of Rome.
However, this excess of power cost him his life. Julius Caesar’s will reveals that Augustus is his heir. Later a battle broke out between Augustus, Mark Antony and Marcus Aemilius Lepidus, who divided the territories of the Empire into 3 parts.
Famous is the session in which Augustus puts the Res Pubblica in the hands of the Roman people. Augustus’ rule lasted 40 years, in which he transformed the organization of the Roman Empire.
The administrative organization of the Roman Empire
With his rise to power Augustus gave Italy a more unified political organization. The main objective of the regions at that time was to make bureaucracy easier and to simplify the census of the citizens of the Empire. During his rule Augustus, in addition to dividing Italy into the 11 regions, built many roads and public structures that embellished the Italian cities. At this time the economy was particularly prosperous. The regions had no administrative and political functions as these were delegated to the capital. In fact, they were not intermediaries between the central government of Rome and individual cities.
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