Praetorian prefecture of Gaul
| Praetorian prefecture of the Gauls Praefectura praetorio Galliarum |
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| Praet. Prefecture of the West Roman Empire | |||||
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| Capital |
Augusta Treverorum (until 395/407) Arelate (from 395/407) |
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| Historical era | Late Antiquity | ||||
| • | Established | 337 | |||
| • | Conquest of Provence by the Visigoths | 477 | |||
| • | Fall of Provence to the Franks | 536 | |||
| Political subdivisions |
Diocese of Gaul Diocese of Britain Diocese of Spain Diocese of the Seven Provinces |
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| Today part of |
 Andorra Belgium Netherlands Luxembourg Germany Morocco France Monaco Switzerland Spain Portugal United Kingdom
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The praetorian prefecture of the Gauls (Latin: praefectura praetorio Galliarum) was one of four large prefectures into which the Late Roman Empire was divided.
The prefecture was established after the death of Constantine I in 337, when the empire was split up among his sons and Constantine II received the rule of the western provinces, with a praetorian prefect as his chief aide. The prefecture comprised not only Gaul but also Upper and Lower Germany, Roman Britain, Spain and Mauretania Tingitana in Africa. Its territory overlapped considerably with what was once controlled by the short-lived Gallic Empire in the 260s.
After the permanent partition of the Empire in 395 into West and East spheres of control, the prefecture of Gaul continued to belong to the Western Roman Empire. Augusta Treverorum (present-day Trier in Germany) served as the prefecture's seat until 407 (or, according to other estimates, in 395), when it was transferred to Arelate (Arles).
The prefecture continued to function until 477, when the last areas under its control were seized by the Visigoths after the abolition of the Western imperial government of Ravenna in the previous year.
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Wikipedia