In contrast, border provinces were run by governors named directly by the emperor. In Trajan’s time, provinces in the interior of the country were run by governors chosen by the Senate, a legislative body run by leading aristocrats. There were 46 provinces under Trajan, a figure that would grow to 96 by the reign of Diocletian (285–305). The number of provinces changed over time as territories were gained or lost, and as larger provinces were divided into smaller ones. To aid in administration, it was divided into provinces. The Roman Empire reached its greatest size under the reign of Trajan in 117 AD.