THE EVENTS OF THE FIRST CENTURY BC IN ITALY ARE MARKED BY A MOVE FROM REPUBLICAN LIBERTIES TO DICTATORIAL REGIMES AND A RETURN TO A DEMOCRATIC-TYPE STRUCTURE WITH THE ADVENT OF THE PRINCIPATE OF AUGUSTUS (27 BC-AD 14). AT THIS STAGETHE STATE WAS TRASFORED INTO THE ROMAN EMPIRE, WHICH GRADUALLY BECAME A KIND OF ELECTIVE MONARCHY ALTHOUGH HEREDITARY TRANSMISSION WAS ALSO NOT A RARE OCCURANCE. THE EMPIRE WAS TO FORMALLY LAST UNTIL BEYOND MID 5 C AD (476 WAS THE YEAR IN WHICH THE LAST EMPEROR, ROMULUS AUGUSTULUS, WAS DEPOSED) BUT CAM TO AN END FOR ALL PRACTICAL PURPOSES AT THE DEATH OF EMPEROR THEODOSIUS (AD 395).
DURING THE FORTY YEARS OF HIS PRINCIPATE, OCTAVIAN SOUGHT TO GIVE HIS EMPIRE A BETTER TERRITORIAL STRUCTURE, WHICJ WAS NECESSARY FOR THE ADMINISTRATIVE, JUDICIAL AND MILITARYREFORMS THAT WERE TO FLOW. IN THIS STRUCTURE ITALY FORMED ON OF THE SENATORIAL PROVINCES IN WHICH THE EMPIRE WAS DIVIDED; THIS PROVINCE WAS DIVEDED IN ITS TURN ELEVEN INDEPENDENT ADMINISTTRATIVE REGIONS, WITH THE EXCEPTION OF SARDINIA AND CORSICA THAT WERE IMPERIAL PROVINCES.