PROCONSUL (Lat. pro consule, in the place of a consul). Title of Rom. provincial governor (see also Province).

Under the Rom. system of provincial administration, the authority of a consul might be extended after the expiration of his term of office, usually to allow him to serve as the governor of a province. It was seldom that this duty was performed by a magistrate in office, esp. in the later Rom. republic. Under the emperors, the title was used generally to designate provincial governors regardless of whether they were ex-consuls or ex-praetors.

Acts mentions two proconsuls: Sergius Paulus (Acts 13:7) and Gallio (Acts 18:12).