Page "Egypt (Roman province)" Paragraph 1

As a province, Aegyptus was ruled by a prefect instead of the traditional senatorial governor of other Roman provinces.

The prefect was a man of equestrian rank and was appointed by the Emperor.

The first prefect of Aegyptus, Gaius Cornelius Gallus, brought Upper Egypt under Roman control by force of arms, established a protectorate over the southern frontier district, which had been abandoned by the later Ptolemies.

The second prefect, Aelius Gallus, made an unsuccessful expedition to conquer Arabia Petraea and even Arabia Felix ; however, the Red Sea coast of Egypt was not brought under Roman control until the reign of Claudius.

The third prefect, Gaius Petronius, cleared the neglected canals for irrigation, stimulating a revival of agriculture.