Roman diocese

In the Late Roman Empire, usually dated AD 284 to 641, the regional governance district known as the Roman or civil diocese was made up of a grouping of provinces each headed by a vicarius, the vicars being the representatives of praetorian prefects (who governed directly the dioceses they were resident in). There were initially twelve dioceses, rising to fourteen by the end of the 4th century.

The term diocese comes from the Latindioecēsis, which derives from the Ancient Greekdioíkēsis () meaning 'administration', 'management', 'assize district', or 'group of provinces'.