ABSTRACT
The Roman Empire from Augustus onwards is usually seen as a mosaic of cities organized into the provinces which made up the Empire. These provinces can be divided into interior and frontier provinces, beyond which lay allied kings, then the barbarians. This model is the basis of many interpretations of the Empire and its frontiers. Therefore interpreting how the Romans defined and controlled their provinces determines how one sees the frontier areas of the Empire. To investigate these ideas, a brief sketch of the evolutionary process of Roman control is necessary.
