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How long would his term usually be for watching over a province? Could he stay longer, once his term was up? Would he then go back to Rome? Could he then get another posting for another province?
Were provincial governors usually senate members?
-Apple
All roman magistrates eligible to govern provinces (praetors, consuls, propraetors, and proconsuls) served one-year terms. Depending on the circumstances, this term might be extended for another year or more. One example of a long term during the middle republic was Scipio Africanus, who held propraetorial power for a total of four years in Spain with during the 2nd Punic war. During the late republic, longer terms became more common, such as L. Licinius Lucullus' seven year tenure in the East and Caesar's ten years in Gaul. A provincial governor was expected to leave his province with 30 days of his successor's arrival. He would generally return to Rome shortly afterward, since poltical involvement was vitally important to his prospects for securing another magistry for himself or his clients and political allies. With very few exceptions, all provincial governors during the republican period were senators.Quote:
Originally Posted by applebreath