What was Gallia Belgica?
Gallia Belgica was a province of the Roman Empire in the northeastern part of Roman Gaul, covering parts of what are now northern France, Belgium, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Germany.
Questions about Gallia Belgica
Short answers, pulled from the story.
When was the Roman province of Gallia Belgica created?
The official Roman province of Gallia Belgica was created by the emperor Augustus in 22 BC, when Marcus Agrippa split Gaul into three regions. The region had already been conquered by Julius Caesar during his Gallic Wars, beginning with his campaign north of the Seine and Marne in 57 BC.
Who conquered Gallia Belgica for Rome?
Julius Caesar conquered the region during his Gallic Wars, beginning in 57 BC, when he identified the Belgae as the people living north of the Seine and Marne rivers. He reported the allied Belgic tribes' combined strength at 288,000, led by the Suessione king Galba.
How did the Roman Empire eventually lose control of Gallia Belgica?
Roman control collapsed after a 406 invasion, when an alliance of Vandals, Alans, and Suebi crossed the Rhine and destroyed large parts of the province. The Franks subsequently conquered the region, and Belgica Secunda became the center of Clovis's Merovingian kingdom in the fifth century.
Why is the country of Belgium named after Gallia Belgica?
The Latin name Belgica remained in use for the Low Countries for centuries after Rome's collapse there, including as Belgica Foederata for the federal northern Netherlands from 1581. When rebels won a separatist revolution in 1831, they took the name Belgica for their new country, which became modern Belgium.
What were the capitals of Gallia Belgica?
According to the geographer Strabo, the original capital of Gallia Belgica was Reims, though the capital later moved to Trier at an uncertain date. After Diocletian split the province around 300, Belgica Prima was centered on Trier, which became an important late western Roman capital.