4 - Mapping cultural change

Summary

Gallo-Romans in their own words

Gallo-Roman civilization was not built in a day. Nor were all parts of Gaul, nor all sectors of Gallic societies equally affected by the civilizing process. The aim of this chapter is to map out – in broad lines – the cultural geography of Roman Gaul, the rhythms and timing of change, and its social distribution. The picture that emerges will be elaborated and nuanced later, but this outline is sufficient to make clear the overriding importance of Roman power in explaining the emergent patterning of Gallo-Roman culture. Gallic culture was transformed at the points of most intense contact between Romans and Gauls. The period of maximum change corresponded to the period when Roman power over Gaul was suddenly intensified. The social groups most effected were those in closest contact with the various representatives of the imperial state. All this is exactly as might have been expected in view of the relationships that have been established between Roman imperialism and cultural change in Gaul.

Mapping cultural change is not easy. Ideally a wide range of variables would be considered, each well dated and provenanced and socially unambiguous, but the result would be a book in its own right and very difficult to construct from the state of the evidence for Roman Gaul. Instead, a single category of evidence – epigraphy – will be used here to establish a provisional outline of the cultural geography of Roman Gaul.