Gallo-Roman culture

As a Gallo-Roman culture (also Gallo- Roman culture ) refers to the influence of the ancient Roman civilization in Gaul culture. This has evolved over the Romanization of Gaul in the period after Augustus. Especially Gallo Roman dominated regions were those Gallia Narbonensis that developed into Occitania later, and to a lesser extent Aquitaine. The northern Gaul, however, was less influenced Roman extended period of time and is therefore only partly so.

Even today, several amphitheatres and aqueducts in southern France can be seen, demonstrating the high degree of Romanization in this room. Influenced Roman cities like Arles were (from the beginning of the 5th century seat of the Gallic Prätorianerpräfektur ), Autun, Cassinomagus, Narbonne, Nimes, Lyon and Vienne. In the crisis period of the Empire in the 3rd century Gaul was part of the Gallic Empire, which had broken away from the Roman central authority ( 259-274 ), until it was annexed by Emperor Aurelian again.

In the course of late antiquity, when Germanic tribes invaded the Roman in the wake of the Great Migration in the empire and also from Gaul took possession (partly invited by the imperial center), there was a transformation of the Gallo- Roman culture, although here the remains of Roman civilization longer were able to maintain than in other parts of the disintegrating Western empire. The top layer of Gaul rivaled now back stronger than before with those of Italy and tried 455 again to enforce in the form of one of their own as Emperor Avitus. After the failure of Avitus and the death of his successor Majorian, who had once resided in Gaul, escalated the alienation, and the Romans of Gaul turned away from Italy. The church took over the middle to end of the 5th century and the growing role of the collapsing Western Roman state as an authority, although the Christianization initially suffered a setback when the Franks late 5th century owned by the majority of Gaul taken after previously self-employed in northern Gaul Roman dominions had existed (see Giles, Paul and Syagrius ). As Clovis I converted to Christianity, this changed, albeit more slowly. The Merovingians used the Gallo-Roman elites for their administrative apparatus, which is still partly based on the Roman model. The church also recorded several Gallo Romans, some of which held high posts; important was also Caesarius of Arles. Until the 7th century introduced the Gallo-Roman elite in southern Gaul a significant power factor is, especially due to the relatively strong position of the bishops in the Civitates.

The most important Gallo Roman Sidonius Apollinaris was the 5th century, was still formed by the classical and the church was part of the ancient culture preserve the Middle Ages. His letters give a good insight into the conditions of Gaul in Late Antiquity. It is also clear that in the wake of state collapse of Western Rome, the Gallo-Romans now sought refuge in the Catholic faith against the Arian Visigoths, who occupied large parts of Gaul (up to 507), which the Catholic Church now became a rallying point. The withdrawal of the oriented to the ancient Gallo- Roman culture was heralded already. However, traditional education was an elite mark by which men like Venantius Fortunatus and Gregory of Tours sought to differentiate themselves from the "barbarians" even in the late 6th century. This was all the more, as Gaul was now dominated by the Catholic Merovingians, so that the denomination now fell away as a distinguishing feature.