BELGIUM IN ROMAN TIMES 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.

CIUDADES BELGAS CON RESTOS ROMANOS 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.