the Week of Proper 26 / Ordinary 31
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Bible Encyclopedias
Proconsul
Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature
or Proconsul, a Roman officer appointed to the government of a province with consular authority. He was chosen out of the body of the senate; and it was customary, when anyone's consulate expired, to send him as a proconsul into some province. He enjoyed the same honor with the consuls, but was allowed only six lictors with the fasces before him.
The proconsuls decided cases of equity and justice, either privately in their palaces, where they received petitions, heard complaints, and granted writs under their seals; or publicly in the common hall, with the formalities generally observed in the courts at Rome. These duties were, however, more frequently delegated to their assessors, or other judges of their own appointment. As the proconsuls had also the direction of justice, of war, and of the revenues, these departments were administered by their lieutenants, or legati, who were usually nominated by the senate. The office of the proconsuls lasted generally for one year only, and the expense of their journeys to and from their provinces was defrayed by the public. After the partition of the provinces between Augustus and the people, those who presided over the provinces of the latter were especially designated proconsuls, for whom it appears to have been customary to decree temples. Livy (viii and xxvi) mentions two other classes of proconsuls: those who, being consuls, had their office continued beyond the time appointed by law; and those who, being previously in a private station, were invested with this honor, either for the government of provinces, or to command in war. Some were created proconsuls by the senate without being appointed to any province, merely to command in the army, and to take charge of the military discipline; others were allowed to enter upon their proconsular office before being admitted to the consulship, but having that honor in reserve.
When the Apostle Paul was at Corinth, he was brought before Gallio, the proconsul of Achaia, one of the provinces of Greece, of which Corinth was the chief city, and arraigned by the Jews as one who 'persuadeth men to worship God contrary to the law' (); but Gallio refused to act as a judge of such matters, and 'drave them from the judgment-seat' ().
Public Domain.
Kitto, John, ed. Entry for 'Proconsul'. "Kitto's Popular Cyclopedia of Biblical Literature". https://www.studylight.org/encyclopedias/eng/kbe/p/proconsul.html.
