Gallia Belgica
Gallia Belgica , later only called Belgica , was one of the three Roman provinces that came into being when Emperor Augustus divided Gaul ; the other two were Gallia Lugdunensis in the center and Gallia Aquitania in the southwest.
Belgica encompassed the north and east of what is now France , western Belgium , western Switzerland and the Jura down to Lake Geneva (Lacus Lemanus), as well as the catchment area of the Moselle up to about 50 kilometers from its confluence with the Rhine . The capital of the province was Durocortorum ( Reims ). Until the establishment of the provinces of Germania superior and Germania inferior to the east , the governor of Belgica was also responsible for securing the Rhine border.
During the administrative reform of Diocletian (Emperor 284-305), Belgica was divided into the provinces Belgica I ( Belgica Prima ) around the Moselle and Belgica II ( Belgica Secunda ), which reached from Reims to the English Channel . They then formed the Dioecesis Galliae with the previous provinces of Lugdunensis, Germania superior and Germania Inferior, Sequana (western Switzerland, Jura , later Maxima Sequanorum) and Alpes Graiae et Poeninae (see Alpes Poenina and Alpes Graiae ) .
The western part of Belgica became the core area of the Frankish Empire , while the eastern part was occupied by the Alamanni .
Significant cities in the province of Belgica were:
- Augusta Suessionum ( Soissons )
- Augusta Treverorum ( Trier ), capital of the Dioecesis Galliae
- Bagacum ( Bavay )
- Portus Itius , later Gesoriacum , late antique Bononia ( Boulogne-sur-Mer )
- Caesaromagus ( Beauvais )
- Catalauni ( Châlons-en-Champagne )
- Divodurum ( Metz )
- Durocortorum ( Reims )
- Mediolanum Aulercorum ( Évreux )
- Nasium ( Naix-aux-Forges )
- Samarobriva ( Amiens )
- Tullum ( Toul )
- Vesontio ( Besançon )
- Virodunum ( Verdun )
Notable Vici :
literature
- Xavier Deru: The Romans on the Meuse and Moselle. Von Zabern, Mainz 2010, ISBN 978-3-8053-4245-2 ( Zabern's illustrated books on archeology - special volumes of the ancient world ).