Provincia Galatia Ἐπαρχία Γαλατίας |
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Province of the Roman Empire | |||||
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Capital | Ancyra | ||||
Historical era | Classical Antiquity | ||||
• | Annexation by Augustus | 25 BC | |||
• | Theme of Thrace established | 7th Century | |||
Today part of | Turkey |
Galatia was the name of a province of the Roman Empire in Anatolia (modern central Turkey). It was established by the first emperor, Augustus (sole rule 30 BC - 14 AD), in 25 BC, covering most of formerly independent Celtic Galatia, with its capital at Ancyra.
Under the tetrarchy reforms of Diocletian, its northern and southern parts were split off to form the southern part of the province of Paphlagonia and the province of Lycaonia, respectively.
In ca. 398, during the reign of Arcadius, it was divided in two provinces, Galatia Prima and Galatia Secunda or Salutaris. Galatia Prima covered the northeastern part of the old province, retaining Ancyra as its capital, and was headed by a consularis, while Salutaris comprised the southwestern half of the old province, and was headed by a praeses with seat at Pessinus. Both provinces were part of the Diocese of Pontus. The two provinces were briefly reunited in 536-548 under Justinian I. Although the area was eventually incorporated in the new thema of Anatolikon in the latter half of the 7th century, traces of the old provincial administration survived until the early 8th century.
According to the canons of the Council of Chalcedon (451) and the Synecdemus of Hierocles (c. 531), the province of Galatia Prima had Ancyra as its metropolitan see, with six suffragan sees: Tavium, Aspona, Kinna, Lagania or Anastasiopolis, Mnizos, and Juliopolis.