Transcript Diapositiva 1

BEATRIZ PALACIOS ALCALÁ 5ºA
The Roman period in present Belgium began in the year 57 BC, with the
conquest of this territory by Julio Cesar in the Gallic Wars. Soon Julio
Cesar dominated the tribes that lived it, that were a mix of Celtic and
Germanic.
Julio Cesar left testimony to the bravery of the Belgians: "The bravest of all
are the Belgians, because they live very far of our province; and for being
neighbors to the Germans, they are always fighting with them"
In the year 54 BC, Ambiorix, king of Eburones, one of the Belgian tribes,
revolted against the Romans. Ambiorix got out a Roman legion into a trap
and he exterminated it. When the revolt failed, Ambiorix was persecuted by
the Romans. He fled across the Rhine and disappeared into the German
forests.
Statue of Ambíorix inTongeren
In 27 AC Emperor Augustus divided the territory north of the Alps in
three new provinces: Gallia Aquitaine, Gallia Lugdunensis and Gallia
Belgium. Gallia Belgium occupied what is now Belgium, the south of
The Netherlands, Luxembourg, northeast of France and west of
Germany.
In the year 17 AC the governor of the province was beaten by one of
the Germanic tribes who constantly threatened the Roman limes. The
emperor sent his adopted sons Tiberio and Druso to Germania to
pacify the tribes. They created two militarized provinces west of the
Rhine River to protect the Gallia Belgium. To create them, the Gallia
Belgium lost territories in the north and east. In turn, its southern
border was extended at the expense of Gallia Lugdunensis. As a result
of this extension, the city of Reims became part of Gallia Belgium,
becoming its capital.
The end of the Roman period in Belgium can be set at the end of V
century AD when the Germanic tribe of the Franks dominated the North
of the province, althoug the South remained strongly romanized. The
province ended be part of the Merovingian kingdom of Clodoveo I.
Later in the VIII century the province was the center of the empire of
Charlemagne.
-Arlon: its Latin name was Orolaunum Vicus. It was located at a junction of
roads and Roman remains discovered confirm that it was one of the most
splendid cities of Central Europe in the imperial time.
-Tongeren: its Latin name was Atuatuca Tungrorum. It was also located on
a major road and was surrounded by fertile fields, so it became one of the
biggest Gallo-Roman administrative and military towns in the first century
AD. In the second century a defensive wall and typical Roman buildings
were erected.