Sardinia and Corsica were culturally very distinct from Sicily. Greek influence in both islands was negligible, but in Sardinia there was a considerable legacy of Carthaginian culture in the principal cities of the west coast, which had started life as Phoenician foundations. Both islands received a generally bad press from Roman writers. The importance of Sardinian grain to Italy is highlighted by the events of 40-58 BC. In the provincial reorganization of 27 BC Sardinia and Corsica were reckoned peaceful enough to be made, like Sicily, a province of the Roman people, administered as a single unit under a proconsular governor. Corsica in particular remained largely undeveloped throughout antiquity, and we can sympathize with Seneca's gloom about what he saw as a dismal place of exile. Sardinia's economic importance lay of course, as already noted, in grain. Away from the coastal regions and the main towns, Romanization made little impact under Augustus or the Julio-Claudians.