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The Romans tolerated the religions and customs of the conquered peoples. They allowed them to continue to worship their religions, follow their customs and use their customary laws at the local level, which they called mos regionis (regional traditions or law of the land). They also let the local ruling classes run most of the local affairs. The role of the provincial governors of the provinces (conquered territories) was restricted to defence and maintenance of the legions stationed in the provinces, tax collection, public works and the arbitration of disputes the locals could not resolve by themselves. This policy had two advantages: it reduced the administrative load of the provincial governors and it facilitated the integration of the locals into the ideology and the economy of the empire. A less tolerant policy would have led to too many rebellions and would have threatened the stability of the empire.
The coexistence of Roman and other laws was framed within the concept of jus gentium. Until 225 AD the provincials, the people outside Italy who had been conquered or were under Roman influence, enjoyed the rights of jus gentium (the law of nations). Nation in Latin was the word for ethnicity and just gentium was a sort of natural law which was regarded as “innate in every human being.” The rights it conferred were considered to be held by all persons. They were based on the notion that the concept of justice sprung from the natural reason of the human mind rather than ethnicity and that they applied to all ethnicities regardless of citizenship. Through this, the provincials enjoyed the protection of Roman civil law in their dealings with Roman citizens. Cases between Romans and non-Romans were adjudicated by the praetor peregrino, the chief justice for foreigners, who was supposed base his rulings on fairness and on Roman civil law.
In 225 BC the emperor Caracalla extended full Roman citizenship to all the freeborn in the Roman Empire.
Being part of the empire also provided economic benefits and, sometimes, security. The empire developed thriving trading networks which brought prosperity. The Romans encouraged the peoples in the provinces (conquered territories) to increase the production of manufactures agricultural goods for trade. The wealthy and middling class benefitted from this. The exploited poor did not. Throughout their empire the Romans built roads, bridges, and ports to facilitate communication and trade; dams for flood protection or irrigation; sewers and public baths for public health; theatres and amphitheatres for entertainment, and public buildings (basilicas) and other public amenities. The Roman legions stationed in the provinces helped with maintaining order. In the frontier areas they also provided protection from raids from across the border. The troops were also customers for local traders.
The Romans fostered an imperial ideology to help to promote as sense of affinity and uniformity among the peoples in the empire.
The Romans army was also used to suppress rebellions. The Romans were ruthless in dealing with rebellions. This was particularly so with the Jews, with whom they failed to develop good relations.
