establish soldiers and a governor in each one and send out one of the ex-consuls to take charge of all, and two of the ex-praetors.  One of the latter, fresh from the City, should have the care of private business and the supplying of provisions:  the other should be one of those who have had this training, who will attend to the public interests of the cities and will govern the soldiers, except in cases that concern disenfranchisement or death.  These must be referred only to the ex-consul who is governor, except in regard to the centurions who are on the lists and to the foremost private individuals in every place.  Do not allow any other person than yourself to punish either of these classes, so that they may never be impelled by fear of any one else to take any action against you.  As for my proposition that the second of the ex-praetors should be put in charge of the soldiers, it is subject to the following limitations.  If only a few are in service in foreign forts or in one native post, it is well enough for this to be so.  But if two citizen legions are wintering in the same province (and more than this number I should not advise you to trust to one commander), it will be necessary for the two ex-praetors to superintend them, each having charge of one besides managing the remaining political and private interests.  Therefore, let the ex-consul[8]... these matters and likewise on the cases, both those subject to appeal and those already referred which are sent up to him from[9] his praetors.  And do not be surprised that I recommend to you to divide Italy also into such sections.  It is large and populous, and so is incapable of being well managed by the governors at the capital.  The governor of any district ought to be always present and no duties should be laid upon our city magistrates[10] that are impossible of fulfillment.

[-23-] “Let all these men to whom affairs outside the city are committed receive pay, the greater ones more, the inferior ones less, those of medium importance a medium amount.  They can not in a foreign land live on their own resources nor as now stand an unlimited and uncalculated expense.  Let them govern not less than three years (unless any one of them commits a crime), nor more than five.  These limits are because annual and short-time appointments after teaching persons what they need to know send them back again before they can display any of their knowledge:  and, on the other hand, longer and more lasting positions fill many with conceit and incline them to rebellion.  Hence I think that the greater posts of authority ought not to be given to persons consecutively, without interval, for it makes no difference whether a man is governor in the same province or in several in succession, if he holds office longer than is proper.  Appointees improve when a period of time is allowed to elapse and they return home and live as ordinary citizens.