Provincia Belgica | |||||
Province of the Roman Empire | |||||
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Capital | Durocortorum (modern Reims) | ||||
Historical era | Antiquity | ||||
• | Established after the Gallic Wars | 22 BC | |||
• | Ended with Frankish Kingdoms | 5th century | |||
Today part of |
Belgium France Luxembourg Germany < 90 Netherlands < 90 |
Gallia Belgica (Belgic Gaul) was a province of the Roman empire located in Belgium, in the northern and eastern parts of Roman Gaul. It began as one of the three main provinces of Gaul (known as the Tres Galliae the other two being Gallia Aquitania and Gallia Lugdunensis) described by its Roman conqueror Julius Caesar. An official Roman province was later created by emperor Augustus in 22 BC.
The province is named for the Belgae as the largest tribal confederation in the area, but it also included the territories of the Treveri, Mediomatrici, Leuci, Sequani, Helvetii and others. The southern border of Belgica, formed by the Marne and Seine rivers, was reported by Caesar as the original cultural boundary between the Belgae and the Gauls who he distinguished as Celts.
The province was re-organized several times, first increased and later decreased in size. Diocletian brought the northeastern Civitas Tungrorum into Germania Inferior, joining the Rhineland colonies, and the remaining part of Gallia Belgica was divided into Belgica Prima in the eastern area of the Treveri, Mediomatrici and Leuci, around Luxembourg and the Ardennes, and Belgica Secunda between the English channel and the upper River Meuse.