Gallia Comata

• Gallia Comata was the Roman name for the Province of Gaul between 51-22 BCE.
• Gaul became a Roman Province in 51 BCE, after Julius Caesar defeated the Gauls in the Gallic Wars (58-51 BCE).

The Gallic Tribes

• Gallia Comata in Latin meant the ‘Long haired Gaul’. The Gauls consisted of Clans, each with their own Council of Elders, and each clan ruled by a King.
• The Romans built each clan a new town on the Roman model known as a Civitas, retaining the Council, but replacing the King with an annually elected Magistrate.

The Three groups of Gauls

• Julius Caesar, in his Commentarii De Bello Gallico, describes Gaul as consisting of three separate groups of Gauls:
  • The Aquitani, separated by the Garonne.
  • The Belgae, separated by the Seine and the Marne.
  • The Galli or Celtae, inbetween the other two.

Augustus reorganised Gallia Comata (22 BCE)

• In 22 BCE, Gaul was renamed and divided into the Four Gauls:
  • Gallia Narbonensis formerly Gallia Transalpina.
  • Gallia Lugdunensis
  • Gallia Aquitania
  • Gallia Belgica

Gaul (modern France)