Provincia Insularum

Provincia Insularum meant the ‘Province of the Islands’ and referred to the Dodecanese Islands in the Aegean Sea, Greece.
They became a separate Roman Province under Titus (c. 79-81 CE) until 395 CE when they were passed to the Eastern Roman Empire.

The Dodecanese Island chain consists of 12 large islands and 150 smaller islands, controlled since antiquity by Rhodes.
Capital city
- Rhodes
History
- In 164 BCE Rhodes signed a Trade Agreement with Rome, bringing the Dodecanese Islands under Roman Influence.
- In c.79-81 CE Titus created the Provincia Insularum meaning the Dodecanese Islands, with Rhodes as the capital. There is one known Governor, Plutarchos, under Julian (361-363 CE)

Capital city:
- Karpathos
History:
- After 395 CE, the Provincia Insularum was placed under the Eastern Roman Emperor in Constantinople.
- The Dodecanese Islands were eventually joined with Crete under the control of Karpathos.
- This was the Capital of the Island of Karpathos, Greece, which is halfway between Crete and Rhodes.

This is another group of 220 Islands surrounding the Island of Delos controlled since Antiquity by Crete.
Capital city:
- Delos:
History:
- Under the Roman Empire, the Cyclades were either assigned to the Province of Asia or Achaea, and later to Crete.
- The most prosperous island was the sacred island of Delos, birth place of Apollo, which was set up by Rome in 166 BCE as a Free Port. Within two years this bankrupted the Rhodian Navy, who in 164 BCE were obliged to sign a Trade Alliance with Rome, bringing the Islands into the Roman Sphere of Influence.
- Rome used the Cyclades as a place of Exile, mainly the Islands of Gyaros, Amorgos, Patmos and Serifos.

Rhodes and the Dodecanese