Britannia Superior

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Britannia Superior was one of the provinces of Roman Britain created around 197 AD by Emperor Septimius Severus immediately after winning a civil war against Clodius Albinus, a war fought to determine who would be the next emperor. Albinus was the governor of Britannia during that civil war. Severus divided the pre-existing province of Britannia into two parts, the other being Britannia Inferior to the north with its capital at Eboracum, or modern York. Britannia Superior was the southern province of the two, with its capital at Londinium, or what is today London. Epigraphic evidence has shed some light on the extent of Upper Britain and it encompassed all of what is now southern England as well as Wales and East Anglia. However, an official boundary between Britannia Superior and Inferior is still unclear. Most information that is gathered for this region during this time period from about the 2nd century AD to the 3rd century AD is from inscriptions left upon pots, walls, and letters written by the citizens and soldiers.

See External Links for a map of the region.

Approximately a century later, around 293 AD, the province was divided into Britannia Prima (with a capital at Cirencester) in the west and Maxima Caesariensis (with a capital at London) in the east. This was done by Emperor Diocletian to make administrative responsibilities over the region more efficient.

Londinium

During the civil war between Severus and Albinus, Albinus ordered the construction of a defending wall around Londinium. These walls were approximately 20 feet (6.1 m) high. Though the whole of the time that Britannia Superior existed Londinium was its centre for commerce and government, with the governor residing within the city.

The Governors

The Governors of Upper Britain were generally of consular rank, including the following:

Tiberius Julius Pollienus Auspex, 223-226
Caius Junius Faustinus Postumianus, sometime between 227-235
Rufinus (not his complete name), ?. Could have been one of a few men.
Marcus Martiannius Pulcher, ?. He is believed to have undertaken restoration projects around the city in peacetimes.
Titus Desticius Juba, 250s

However, not a lot is known about each governor as individuals, or if even this is the entire list of governors for the province from the time of its creation to its dissolution.

Britannia
43-early 3rd c.
Capital Camulodunum
(43-c.65),
then Londinium

Britannia Inferior,
Early 3rd c. - 293,
capital at Eboracum

Britannia Superior
Early 3rd c. - 293,
capital at Londinium

Flavia Caesariensis,
293-410,
capital Lindum

Britannia Secunda,
293-410,
capital Eboracum

Maxima Caesariensis,
293-410,
capital Londinium

Britannia Prima,
293-410,
capital Corinium

References

Southern, Pat (2001). Roman Empire From Severus to Constantine. Routledge
Watson, George (1969). The Roman Soldier. Ithaca: Cornell University Press
The Cambridge Ancient History Volume XII (2005). Second Edition, Cambridge, Cambridge University Press

External links

http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/Classics/roman_provinces/britain/image21.htm

Map of both Britannia Superior and Inferior compared to what they became as the Four Provinces of Britannia

Late Roman provinces (4th–7th centuries AD)

History

As found in the Notitia Dignitatum. Provincial administration reformed and dioceses established by Diocletian, c. 293. Permanent praetorian prefectures established after the death of Constantine I. Empire permanently partitioned after 395. Exarchates of Ravenna and Africa established after 584. After massive territorial losses in the 7th century, the remaining provinces were superseded by the theme system in c. 640–660, although in Asia Minor and parts of Greece they survived under the themes until the early 9th century.

Western Empire (395–476)

Praetorian Prefecture
of Gaul

Diocese of Gaul	Alpes Poeninae et Graiae Belgica I Belgica II Germania I Germania II Lugdunensis I Lugdunensis II Lugdunensis III Lugdunensis IV Maxima Sequanorum

Diocese of Vienne¹	Alpes Maritimae Aquitanica I Aquitanica II Narbonensis I Narbonensis II Novempopulania Viennensis

Diocese of Spain	Baetica Balearica Carthaginensis Gallaecia Lusitania Mauretania Tingitana Tarraconensis

Diocese of Britain	Britannia I Britannia II Flavia Caesariensis Maxima Caesariensis Valentia (369)

Praetorian Prefecture
of Italy

Diocese of Suburbicarian Italy	Apulia et Calabria Campania Corsica Lucania et Bruttii Picenum Suburbicarium Samnium Sardinia Sicilia Tuscia et Umbria Valeria

Diocese of Annonarian Italy	Alpes Cottiae Flaminia et Picenum Annonarium Liguria et Aemilia Raetia I Raetia II Venetia et Istria

Diocese of Africa²	Africa proconsularis (Zeugitana) Byzacena Mauretania Caesariensis Mauretania Sitifensis Numidia Cirtensis Numidia Militiana Tripolitania

Diocese of Pannonia³	Dalmatia Noricum mediterraneum Noricum ripense Pannonia I Pannonia II Savia Valeria ripensis

Eastern Empire (395–c.640)

Praetorian Prefecture
of Illyricum

Diocese of Dacia	Dacia Mediterranea Dacia Ripensis Dardania Moesia I Praevalitana

Diocese of Macedonia	Achaea Creta Epirus nova Epirus vetus Macedonia I Macedonia II Salutaris Thessalia

Praetorian Prefecture
of the East

Diocese of Thrace⁵	Europa Haemimontus Moesia II⁴ Rhodope Scythia⁴ Thracia

Diocese of Asia⁵	Asia Caria⁴ Hellespontus Insulae⁴ Lycaonia (370) Lycia Lydia Pamphylia Pisidia Phrygia Pacatiana Phrygia Salutaria

Diocese of Pontus⁵	Armenia I⁵ Armenia II⁵ Armenia Maior⁵ Armenian Satrapies⁵ Armenia III (536) Armenia IV (536) Bithynia Cappadocia I⁵ Cappadocia II⁵ Galatia I⁵ Galatia II Salutaris⁵ Helenopontus⁵ Honorias⁵ Paphlagonia⁵ Pontus Polemoniacus⁵

Diocese of the East⁵	Arabia Cilicia I Cilicia II Cyprus⁴ Euphratensis Isauria Mesopotamia Osroene Palaestina I Palaestina II Palaestina III Salutaris Phoenice I Phoenice II Libanensis Syria I Syria II Salutaris Theodorias (528)

Diocese of Egypt⁵	Aegyptus I Aegyptus II Arcadia Augustamnica I Augustamnica II Libya Superior Libya Inferior Thebais Superior Thebais Inferior

Other territories

Taurica Quaestura exercitus (536) Spania (552)

¹ Later the Septem Provinciae.
² Re-established after reconquest by the Eastern Empire in 534 as the separate Prefecture of Africa
³ Later the Diocese of Illyricum.
⁴ Joined the Quaestura exercitus in 536.
⁵ Affected (i.e. boundaries modified, abolished or renamed) by Justinian I's administrative reorganization in 534–536.

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