1. Government under the Romans. The Proconsul Gallio
throw of the Achean league under
under Mummius in 146 B.C., Greece became a
the Romans. Roman province, administered by the
consul, proconsul, or pretor of
Macedonia. After the battle of Actium (31
B.C.)
Augustus made Achaea an independent province comprising, besides the southern
part of Greece,
Eubaea and moat of the Cyclades, the
latter remaining so attached till the third century
when they were connected with the newly established "island eparchy." When the provinces were
divided into senatorial and imperial, Greece was allotted to the senate. Tiberius united it again with
Macedonia, but under Claudius in 44
A.D.
the former
order was reestablished. During the period 44-67
A.D.,
when Christianity took root in Achaea, it was a
senatorial province and was governed by proconsuls,
assisted by a legate and queator. They had the command of the provincial army and jurisdiction in criminal and civil affairs. One of the
beat-known proconsuls was Gallic (Acts aviii. 12) or Lucius Annaeus
Novatua, son of Marcus Animus Seneca the elder and
elder brother of the famous Seneca. Having been
adopted by Lucius Junius Gallic, he took the name
Junius Gallic. The date of Gallio's proconsulate in
Acha:a is very doubtful and no dependence can be
placed on mention of him as a basis for the chronology of Paul's life. More important, however, is his
attitude toward the tumults caused by Paul's
Preaching. The Jews of Corinth accused Paul not of
political offense, as did those of Thessalonica (Acts
suit. 7), but of preaching a new religion "contrary to
the law" (Acts aviii. 13)-no doubt the Mosaic law,
not the Roman. Gallic was free to interfere or let
the matter drop; the important point was whether
the apostasy from Judaism was proven and the new
religion appeared important or dangerous. Since
the Jews were divided among themselves, Gallic
considered the whole matter a quarrel of the
Jews
especially as there was no qreestion of "wrong or
wicked lewdness"
(
Acts xviii. 14-16).
Gallio's
disposition to hear the Jews in case of a wrong
indicates that at Corinth, as elsewhere, the Jews
had no jurisdiction in criminal matters. As a whole
the Greek cities had certain liberties under the
Roman administration. Some enjoyed an especially favored position, being treated as civitntes
fcederattv.
The condition of the land at the time of Strabo's
visit in 29
B.c.
