Editing Roman Britain (section)

== Government ==<!--linked-->
{{Further|Governors of Roman Britain|Roman client kingdoms in Britain|Roman auxiliaries in Britain}}

Under the Roman Empire, administration of peaceful provinces was ultimately the remit of the [[Roman Senate|Senate]], but those, like Britain, that required permanent garrisons, were placed under the Emperor's control. In practice imperial provinces were run by resident [[List of governors of Roman Britain|governors]] who were members of the Senate and had held the [[Roman consul|consulship]]. These men were carefully selected, often having strong records of military success and administrative ability. In Britain, a [[Roman governor|governor]]'s role was primarily military, but numerous other tasks were also his responsibility, such as maintaining diplomatic relations with local client kings, building roads, ensuring the public courier system functioned, supervising the ''{{Lang|la|[[civitas|civitates]]}}'' and acting as a judge in important legal cases. When not campaigning, he would travel the province hearing complaints and recruiting new troops.

To assist him in legal matters he had an adviser, the ''{{Lang|la|legatus juridicus}}'', and those in Britain appear to have been distinguished lawyers perhaps because of the challenge of incorporating tribes into the imperial system and devising a workable method of taxing them. Financial administration was dealt with by a ''[[promagistrate|procurator]]'' with junior posts for each tax-raising power. Each legion in Britain had a commander who answered to the governor and, in time of war, probably directly ruled troublesome districts. Each of these commands carried a tour of duty of two to three years in different provinces. Below these posts was a network of administrative managers covering intelligence gathering, sending reports to Rome, organising military supplies and dealing with prisoners. A staff of seconded soldiers provided clerical services.

Colchester was probably the earliest capital of Roman Britain, but it was soon eclipsed by London with its strong mercantile connections. The different forms of municipal organisation in Britannia were known as ''{{Lang|la|civitas}}'' (which were subdivided, amongst other forms, into ''{{Lang|la|colonies}}'' such as York, Colchester, Gloucester and Lincoln and ''municipalities'' such as Verulamium), and were each governed by a senate of local landowners, whether Brythonic or Roman, who elected magistrates concerning judicial and civic affairs.<ref name="Jones 1998">{{Cite book |last=Jones |first=Michael E. |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=hBNr765THaIC&pg=PA147 |title=The End of Roman Britain |publisher=Cornell University Press |year=1998 |isbn=978-0-8014-8530-5 |page=147}}</ref> The various ''{{Lang|la|civitates}}'' sent representatives to a yearly provincial council in order to profess loyalty to the Roman state, to send direct petitions to the Emperor in times of extraordinary need, and to worship the imperial cult.<ref name="Jones 1998"/>