Gallia Lugdunensis

  • Gallia Lugdunensis was a Roman Province in Gaul which covered all the northwestern territory between the Loire and Seine Rivers, including Brittany.
  • The capital was at Lyon.

1. History

  • Pre-Roman history:
    • The largest Site of Megalithic Standing Stones in the world is at Carnac in Brittany.
  • Acquisition by Rome:
  • Timeline of this Province:
  • Under The Republic:
  • After Augustus’ reconstituted the Republic into an Empire (27 BCE):
  • After Diocletian’s Reforms (297 CE):
    • Became part of the Diocese of Galliae, under of the Prefecture of Galliae (included Gaul, Germania, Britannia, Hispania)
    • 360 CE The Roman Prefect of Gaul Julian declared his bid for Emperor against Constantius II. He then named Julian his heir when he died in 361 CE.
  • After Death of Theodosius (395 CE), and the final split into Eastern Empire and Western Empire:
    • 409 CE Invaded by the Vandals.
    • 427-454 CE Roman General Flavius Aetius fought many Wars in Gaul, Germania and the Danube against the Vandals and the Visigoths.
    • In 451 CE, Attila the Hun marched across the Rhine into Gallia Belgica with an army some sources have estimated at half a million men. They consisted of Gepids, Ostrogoths, Rugians, Scirians, Heruls, Thuringians, Alans, Burgundians.
    • On the 7th April, Attila captured Metz, followed by Rheims. Troyes was saved by Bishop Lupus’ personal entreaty, Paris was saved by St. Genevieve‘s prayers, and Tongeren was saved by the prayers of St. Servatus its Bishop.
    • 451 CE St. Genevieve, a nun then living in Paris (Lutecia), successfully convinced the townsfolk not to flee in front of the Army of Attila the Hun. As a result, Attila spared Paris and instead besieged Orleans. St. Genevieve was made the Patron Saint of Paris.
    • 451 CE Battle of Chalons. Here the two armies met and although Flavius Aetius and the Roman and Visigothic army won a strategic victory, his ally, the Visigothic King, was killed.
    • 461-486 CE The Kingdom of Soissons (461-486 CE)
      • This was a last area of Roman Gaul located between the Loire and the Somme which held out between 461 to 486 CE.
      • Aegidius was appointed Magister Militum of Gaul by the Emperor Majorian who was assassinated in 461 CE.
      • Majorian successfully held the Kingdom of Soissons as an independent Roman State, against the Franks and the Visigoths. When he died in c. 465 CE his son Syagrius succeeded him as the last Roman Ruler of Gaul.
      • The Kingdom of Soissons finally fell to the Franks when Clovis I defeated Syagrius at the Battle of Soissons in 486 CE, ten years after the Fall of the Western Empire in 476 CE.
    • 486 CE Battle of Soissons: the Franks under Clovis I, defeated the last Roman State in Gaul, the Kingdom of Soissons, ruled by Syagrius. Gaul was then united under Clovis I.
  • Famous Emperors from this Province:
  • Chief Archeological Finds:
  • Historic Battle Sites:
  • Main Historical Sources for this Province:

2. Geography

  • Capital City:
    • Lyon, (Lugdunum), known as ‘The Rome of the Western Empire’.
  • Chief Cities:
  • Location Today:
    • Starting at Lyon, the Province covered the territory between the Loire and Seine Rivers and included Brittany. It had a coastline on the both the Atlantic and the English Channel.
  • Neighbouring Roman Provinces:
  • Climate and Temperature Today:
    • Brittany, which juts out into the Atlantic, has an Oceanic or Maritime climate with frequent rain showers and windy days.
    • Lyon, which is at the centre of France, has a Continental climate with cold winters with snow and hot dry summers.
  • Main Geographical features:
    • The Rhone Valley, the R. Seine Basin, The Loire Valley.
  • Main Rivers:
    • R. Rhone, R. Saone, R. Seine, R. Marne.
  • Mountain Ranges:
  • Islands:
    • Islands of Brittany, Ouissant (Ushant), Belle-Ile, and 40 Islands in the Gulf of Morbihan,
    • The Channel Islands were included in this Province.

3. Political Organisation

4. Military Organisation

  • Legions:
    • Between 15-12 BCE, the Legions were all moved by Drusus the Elder to the Rhine Frontier where 50 Fortresses were constructed.
    • The Rhine Frontier was later removed from Gaul and turned into two independent Provinces, Germania Superior (90 CE) and Germania Inferior (80-83 CE).
  • Navy:
    • 4th century CE: According to the Notitia Dignitatum (c. 400 CE), the Navy was under the command of the Magister Peditum of the West:
      • Unit at Lugdunum (Lugdunum)
      • Unit at Rouen (Rotomagus)
      • Classis Anderetianorum based at Paris (Lutetia) operating on the R. Seine and R. Oise.
      • Classis Ararica based at Chalons-sur-Marne (Caballodunum) operating on the R. Saone.
  • Defensive Works:
    • During the 3rd century CE, the coastline of northern Gaul may have formed part of the Saxon Shore Forts anti-Piracy defence system, mirroring the forts in Britannia.
  • Main Threats:
    • Marauding Germanic attacks by both land and sea, later developing into the Germanic Invasions from the 3rd century CE onwards.

5. Economy

  • Chief Exports:
    • Lyonnais Terracotta, Pottery and Wine.
  • Agriculture and Fishing:
  • Manufacturing:
    • Pottery.
  • Mines:
    • Tin Mines of Brittany.
  • Mints:
    • A Roman Imperial Mint was established at Lyon after the Assassination of Julius Caesar in 44 BCE, when the Mint of Rome was temporarily closed. It continued until 423 CE, using the Mint Marks: LG, LVGD.

6. Transport

7. Relationship with Rome

  • Wealthy Province.
  • Lost between 260-274 CE when it became part of the Gallic Empire (260-274 CE).
  • From 409 CE onwards, a series of invasions were led by the Vandals and the Franks.
  • 451 CE Attila the Hun invaded Gaul with a huge army but was defeated at the Battle of Chalons by Flavius Aetius.
  • The Kingdom of Soissons (461-486 CE) was the last Roman State in Gaul.

8. History of Christianity in this Province

  • St. Denis, (d. c.250 CE) First Bishop of Paris, executed on Mons Mercurius (Montmartre, Paris).
  • St. Germain, Bishop of Auxerre (418 CE).
  • St. Genevieve, Patron Saint of Paris, (d. 507 CE).
  • St. Martin of Tours (316-397 CE). In 371 CE he became Bishop of Tours. He strongly encouraged wine production in this area.

9. Roman Authors describing this Province

 

Gallia Lugdunensis

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