Laudator Temporis Acti

Ronald Syme, "Human Rights and Social Status at Rome," in his Roman Papers, VI (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991), pp. 182-192 (at 188):

On a contrary estimate, so it can be maintained, the central government of the Caesars lived largely by expedients. It preferred to ignore problems until they were brought to its notice or could no longer be avoided. Roman statesmen would have concurred in the maxim of the excellent Antonio de Mendoza, the first viceroy of New Spain: 'do little and do that slowly'. That was the lesson of their own experience through long ages. The diffusion of Latin civilization in the western lands was a long process, begun in violence but promoted by peace and prosperity, not by the deliberate actions of any government.

[....]

After policy, administration. It never fails to earn praise and honour in the modern age, for it appeals to routine and favours careerism. The Romans consented to have as little administration as possible. They were inspired by an ingrained dislike of interfering with the habits of individuals or communities. That healthy abstinence comes out in various ways, most clearly in their normal attitude towards foreign religions: no cause for alarm unless morality was impaired or public order endangered.

Through tolerance or salutary neglect the Caesars were able to superintend a world empire without elaborate regulations or a horde of bureaucrats.