Christian and Merovingian Gaul, 1940–4

Extract

A doctorate thesis sets out the history of towns of Narbonensis prima, Toulouse, Narbonne, Beziers, Agde, and Nîmes, from the Germanic invasions to the second half of the twelfth century. The interest of the work is that it follows, with the aid of archaeological documentation, the stages in the topographic and material development of these towns, which from the fifth century on were attacked by a progressive paralysis, culminating in absolute decay. The Mahometan invasion appears to have had the most disastrous effects in Languedoc. A certain revival manifests itself in the Carolingian period, but is soon countered by the progress of Islam in the Mediterranean and the rise of the feudal system. In this well-defined geographical unit, which is circumscribed by the Rhône, the Ardèche, the Cevennes, part of the Garonne, the Pyrenees, and the Mediterranean, the dominant role belongs to the towns of central and eastern Narbonensis, which were directly in contact with Rome and Italy. The western part of the province, which borders on the old post-Hallstatt cultural centre, has felt Roman influence less strongly and remains a sort of March-land with considerations of security predominating.