Abstract
Provincial administration played an important role in Roman expansion and imperialist propaganda, allowing Rome to effectively consolidate its empire. Given its significant role, many classical Latin authors have alluded to provincial administration illustrating its manifold socio-political nuances. Among these, the works of Cicero are noteworthy not only due to the various dynamics of the topic that they explore but also due to Cicero’s own political stance. In such a context, the present research focuses its attention on provincial administration during the Late Republic (133 B.C. – 43 B.C.), as reflected in selected works of Cicero. Thus, the study observes Cicero’s thoughts on how the provinces should be managed ideally. At the same time, attention is also given to Cicero’s depiction of various races (such as the Greeks, Sardinians, and Gauls) and sentiments of ethnic bias or racism expressed by Cicero towards them. Finally, the study delves into several practical complexities in provincial administration and the way they manifest racial prejudices. Such examination is deemed helpful not only to reaffirm the existence of racism in the Roman society (principally among the Roman elite) but also to better understand its place in shaping Roman imperialism as well as the ‘Roman way of thinking.’