gradually lost all
voice in the government, and finally disappeared entirely. The Senate,
however, continued nominally to act until the time of Diocletian (284 A.
D.).

As Augustus had exclusive command of the armies, he chose to govern as
Proconsul those provinces which required military forces. He himself
resided at the capital, and sent deputies (_legati_) to oversee them.
The other provinces, called Senatorial, were governed by Proconsuls
appointed by the Senate. These were at this time Sicily, Africa,
Achaia (Greece), Macedonia, Asia (Minor), Hispania Ulterior, and Gallia
Narbonensis.

The city government now included all Italy. In this Augustus was
assisted by three _Praefects_; one in charge of the corn supplies, a
second in charge of the city proper, and a third in charge of his body
guard of nine thousand men, called the PRAETORIAN GUARD. These Praefects
soon overshadowed all the regular magistrates, and through them Augustus
reigned supreme.

The Roman Empire at this time included all the countries bordering on
the Mediterranean, extending east to the Parthian kingdom (the Upper
Euphrates) and the Arabian Desert, south to the Desert of Sahara, and
west to the Atlantic Ocean. On the north the boundary was unsettled,
and subject to inroads of barbarians. In the early part of his reign
Augustus joined to the Empire a new province, Moesia, comprising the
territory along the Lower Danube, and making nineteen in all.

Augustus next devoted himself to the task of conquering the territory
between the Lower Rhine and Moesia, which was occupied by hardy
mountaineers whose resistance was likely to be stubborn. His two
step-sons, Drusus and Tiberius, were in charge of this important work.
They were so successful as to acquire enough territory to form two new
provinces, Rhaetia and Noricum (15 B.C.).

Tiberius also conquered the valley of the Save, and made it the province
of Pannonia (Western Hungary), 10 B.C.

Drusus, while his brother Tiberius was engaged in Pannonia, made a
campaign against the Germans near the Rhine. He had nearly finished the
conquest of Germany from the Rhine to the Elbe, when he died (9, B.C.),
and was succeeded by his brother Tiberius, who completed his work.

Drusus received the cognomen of Germanicus for his conquests in Germany.
His wife was Antonia, daughter of Mark Antony, by whom he had two sons,
Germanicus and Claudius, the latter of whom was afterwards Emperor.

In 7 A.D. Lucius