Proconsul

Proconsul, a Roman magistrate not holding the consulship, who was invested with powers nearly approaching those of a consul, not, however, extending over the city and its vicinity. The proconsul was, at first, one who had held the office of consul, whose imperium was prolonged to enable him to bring an unfinished campaign to a close. The duration of the office was a year. During the later period of the republic, when the consuls were expected to spend the year of their consulate at Rome, they were generally appointed at its close to undertake, as proconsuls, either the conduct of a war in some province, or its peaceful administration. Occasionally the office of proconsul, with the government of a province, was conferred on a person who had never held the consulship. Under Constantine parts of certain dioceses came to be governed by proconsuls.