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It is important to note some changes that were made between the death of Marcus and the accession of Diocletian. (1) The diocese of Asturiaet Gallaecia was cut off as a separate imperial province from Tarraconensis (216 or 217 ); (2) Britannia was divided by Septimius Severus (197 ) into Brit. superior and Brit. inferior (each probably under a praeses); (3) Septimius made Numidia a separate province (under a legatus till Aurelian, afterwards under a praeses); (4) Syria was divided by the same Emperor (198 ) into Syria Coele (Magna) and Syr. Phœnice; (5) Arabia was divided in the third century into Ar. Bostræa and Arabia Petræa, corresponding to the two chief towns of the province; (6) Mesopotamia (made a province by Trajan, and resigned by Hadrian) was restored by Lucius Verus; (7) For Dacia see p. 294.

Gibbon's account of the political geography of the Illyrian lands brings home to us the changes which have taken place within the last century. When he wrote, Servia and Bulgaria were "united in Turkish slavery"; Greece herself was under the same bondage as well as Moldavia, Walachia and Bosnia; the Dalmatian coast was a province of the Venetian State. Since then (1) the Turkish realm in Europe has been happily reduced, and (2) Austria has advanced