L'Impero Romano e le Strutture Economiche e Sociali delle Province

That overwhelming military farce created the Roman Empire is not in doubt. But is it all that held it together? Obviously, Rome could not hope to fight all her suhjects at once, if they chose to rebel; but she was able, for some six centuries, to make it clear that the consequences for anyone who stepped out of line were, sooner or later, going to be so unpleasant that it was not worth trying. The subject status of the provinces was at once exploited by and symbolised in the annual demand far tribute.

But there were at the same time other and more positive ways in which the presence of Roman rule was symbolised to the peoples of the Empire: the Imperial cult, the diffusion of Imperial images, affectionate stories about the Emperor, the Imperial coinage.

Equally, the Roman Emperors no doubt preferred, where possible, to enjoy the consent of their subjects; the rules against misconduct and extortion were clearly designed to achieve this end, whether or not they actually succeeded in suppressing the crimes and misdemeanours at which they were directed.