Sardinia and Corsica formed another province (235).

Over each province was placed a Roman governor, called Proconsul. For
this purpose two new Praetors were now elected, making four in all.
The power of the governor was absolute; he was commander in chief,
chief magistrate, and supreme judge.

The finances of the provinces were intrusted to one or more QUAESTORS.
All the inhabitants paid as taxes into the Roman treasury one tenth of
their produce, and five per cent of the value of their imports and
exports. They were not obliged to furnish troops, as were the
dependants of Rome in Italy.

The provincial government was a fruitful source of corruption. As the
morals of the Romans degenerated, the provinces were plundered without
mercy to enrich the coffers of the avaricious governors.

The Adriatic Sea at this time was overrun by Illyrican pirates, who
did much damage. Satisfaction was demanded by Rome of Illyricum, but
to no purpose. As a last resort, war was declared, and the sea was
cleared of the pirates in 229.

"The results of this Illyrican war did not end here, for it was the
means of establishing, for the first time, direct political relations
between Rome and the states of Greece, to many of which the
suppression of piracy was of as much importance as to Rome herself.
Alliances were concluded with CORCÝRA, EPIDAMNUS, and APOLLONIA; and
embassies explaining the reasons which had brought Roman troops into
Greece were sent to the Aetolians and Achaeans, to Athens and Corinth.
The admission of the Romans to the Isthmian Games in 228 formally