Some of these countries were provinces, and were governed by officers appointed and sent out by the authorities at Rome.

These governors had to collect the taxes of their provinces, and also to preside over and direct, in many important respects, the administration of justice.

They had, accordingly, abundant opportunities to enrich themselves while thus in office, by collecting more money than they paid over to the government at home, and by taking bribes to favor the rich man's cause in court.

Thus the more wealthy and prosperous provinces were objects of great competition among aspirants for office at Rome.
Leading men would get these appointments, and, after remaining long enough in their provinces to acquire a fortune, would come back to Rome, and expend it in intrigues and maneuvers to obtain higher offices still.
[Sidenote: Foreign wars.] [Sidenote: The victorious general.] Whenever there was any foreign war to be carried on with a distant nation or tribe, there was always a great eagerness among all the military officers of the state to be appointed to the command.

They each felt sure that they should conquer in the contest, and they could enrich themselves still more rapidly by the spoils of victory in war, than by extortion and bribes in the government of a province in peace.