Provincial Politicians

[magnificentbeast]

I read somewhere that I can't remember the account of a Roman senator visiting an Italian province and getting shown around by a local magistrate. The gist of the story is how ridiculous the small time provincial magistrate comes off to the visiting Roman, in that he was trying to impress him. I'm trying to figure out if provincial politicians, city leaders, went so far as to emulate the senatorial class of Rome, and for example wear the purple stripe on their togas?  Did anyone in the provinces consider themselves members of the Senatorial order if they weren't elected to the senate of Rome, but only a big shot in a very Romanized provincial city? 

[caldrail]

Provinces of civitas status had their own senate based in the leading settlement. Many people assume that Rome ruled its empire centrally like it's done generally today, but they aren't aware that Rome didn't do that. Their overall policy toward subject territory was to have them paying loyal tribute with their own tribal-based but romanised leadership . A governor was sent there not to run the pl;ace but represent Rome, and to be the last word in Roman and native law., though to be honest many governors were happy to accept their assignments because it was a good chance to get rich quick.

However - Italy had no provinces. This was a historical anomaly because Rome maintained the socii (allies) right to the end in the West. Athough the tribes had sworn loyalty to Augustus when the Principate began, and that he had organised a political structure that grouped tribes into specified regions, these former socii were still nominally independent subject states that were only described as provinces after the western empire had gone.

Rome encouraged emulation during the imperial period, the Augustan Franchise, where settlements were rewarded with tax breaks and concessions by the Senate for things like aqueducts, theatres, walls, etc. This system had lapsed or broken down by the Dominate because the later Senate were no longer able to enact laws or decrees for themselves.

It does stand to reason though that a senator of Rome saw himself as superior to a provincial version however approving they may be, and note that in the case of Britannia, they were somewhat less than impressed with their emulation of Roman culture.