prōvincĭa — Lewis & Short
prōvincĭa, ae (old
I gen. PROVINCIAI, Inscr. Grut. 376, 6) [etym. dub.; perh. contr. for pro-noventia (cf. nuntius), the charge or government of a legate].
I A province, i. e. a territory out of Italy, acquired by the Romans (chiefly by conquest), and brought under Roman government; freq., also, to be rendered provincial administration, employment, etc.:
Sicilia prima omnium provincia est appellata,Cic. Verr. 2, 2, 1, § 2:
defendo provinciam Siciliam,id. Div. in Caecil. 2, 5:
provincia Syria,id. Fam. 15, 2, 1:
Asia provincia,id. Fl. 34, 85:
provincia Gallia,id. Font. 1, 2:
praeponere, praeficere aliquem provinciae,id. Fam. 2, 15, 4:
tradere alicui provinciam,id. ib. 3, 3, 1:
in provinciam cum imperio proficisci,id. ib. 3, 2, 1:
administrare provinciam,id. ib. 15, 4, 1:
provinciam consulari imperio obtinere,id. Fl. 34, 85; cf. id. Phil. 1, 8, 19:
de provinciā decedere,to retire from the administration of a province, id. Fam. 2, 15, 4:
provinciam Lentulus deposuit,gave up, resigned, id. Pis. 21, 50: provincia consularis, governed by a former consul (proconsul), Cic. Verr. 2, 1, 13, § 34:
praetoria,governed by a former prœtor, id. Phil. 1, 8, 19.—
2 In gen., a province, division of a kingdom or empire:
Judaea,Vulg. 1 Esdr. 5, 8:
Babylonis,id. Dan. 2, 48.—
II Transf., in gen., official duty, office, business, charge, province (class.):
parasitorum,Plaut. Capt. 3, 1, 14:
hanc tibi impero provinciam,id. Mil. 4, 4, 23:
abi in tuam provinciam,id. Cas. 1, 15:
duram capere provinciam,Ter. Phorm. 1, 2, 22:
sibi provinciam depoposcit, ut me in meo lectulo trucidaret,Cic. Sull. 18, 52:
qui eam provinciam susceperint, ut in balneas contruderentur,id. Cael. 26, 63:
Sicinio Volsci, Aquilio Hernici provincia evenit,i. e. were given into his charge, were assigned to him to be subdued, Liv. 2, 40 fin.:
cum ambo consules Appuliam provinciam haberent,id. 26, 22.—In plur., Plaut. Ps. 1, 2, 15:
ipsi inter se provincias partiuntur,Hirt. B. G. 8, 35.