It was named for one of the reigning Augusti of the Roman Empire, Arcadius (r. 383–408) of the Theodosian dynasty when it was created in the late 4th century.

Its capital was Oxyrhynchus and its territory encompassed the Arsinoite nome and the "Heptanomia" ("seven nomes") region.

395 out of the province of Augustamnica and most of the historical region known as "Heptanomis" ("seven nomes"), except for Hermopolis, which belonged to the Thebaid.

[2] In the Notitia Dignitatum, Arcadia forms one of six provinces of the Diocese of Egypt, under a governor with the low rank of praeses.

[1] Ancient episcopal sees in the Roman province of Arcadia Aegypti, listed in the Annuario Pontificio as titular sees:[4]