Formes et rythmes de la romanisation dans l’Ouest de la Gaule Belgique

Abstract

Western Belgica, integrated into Roman territory by Caesar, underwent an in-depth romanisation during the Early Empire. Owing to the paucity of the sources enabling one to apprehend the civic status of cities and individuals one is led to favour the analysis of the urbanitas of the people of the area, deprived as it was before the conquest of cities and public buildings, a few cultural edifices excepted. Urban development was important, even outside county towns, while the mode of exploitation of the countrysides underwent a transformation from the middle of the Ist c. A.D. onwards. In the cultural field, the romanisation of shrines is swift. Romanisation is first perceptible in county towns and a few major sites of the civic territory, then in most of the secondary towns and in the countrysides.

Keywords

• romanisation
• urbanisation
• Belgica
• shrines
• urbanitas