Ancient French History | Greek and Roman
Colonies | Celtic Tribes | Gallic Wars |
Pax Romana | Germanic Tribes and Barbarian Invasions | Visigoths and Franks
The Celts first came into contact with the
Mediterranean cultures when the Greeks began exploring western
territory in the 7th century b.C. A Greek colony was established
at Massila (now known as Marseille), used mainly for trade.
This Greek colony later became a Roman protectorate in 121
bc along with other settlements in the region until several
decades later, after the Gallic Wars which lasted from 58
to 51 bc, Julius Caesar managed to conquer the rest of Gaul.
Two centuries of general peace and prosperity
followed the Roman conquest of Gaul, a time referred to as
the Pax Romana, during which Augustus reigned as emperor of
Rome. It was in the 3rd century that the mighty Roman Empire
began to show a decline. A major problem for the Romans was
the north-east frontier, which was very long and difficult
to defend effectively against the Germanic tribes. Other problems
that contributed to this gradual downfall included political
instability, plague and a generally bad economic situation.
Some of the Barbarian tribes the Romans fought against the
included the Suevi, the Alans, the Vandals the Visigoths and
the Franks. Constant Barbarian invasions instilled fear in
the people, who began banding together with local lords in
exchange for protection against the invaders. This arrangement
eventually evolved into what would later be known as the feudal
society, typical of Medieval Times.
It was during the 2nd century that the Romans
brought Christianity into Gaul. Originally a persecuted sect,
it began flourishing during these times of political and social
turmoil until by the 5th century most of the aristocracy was
converting.
By the end of the 5th century, Roman dominion
over the region faltered and ended completely when the Salian
Franks, a Germanic tribe led by Clovis, their king, invaded
and conquered Gaul. Clovis further boosted Christianity when
he decided to convert to the religion, a move that further
strengthened his hold over the country. Gaul enjoyed stability
and unity under Clovis’s reign, however the division
of the territory the King made in order to distribute land
as rewards and gifts would lead to certain fragmentation in
the future.
Clovis belonged to the Merovingian dynasty,
which began declining after his death in 511. A series of
weak, incompetent kings followed, as well as a continuous
struggle for the throne until in 751, the Carolingian dynasty
took over with Pepin the Short assuming power and being crowned
King of the Franks. Contributing to Gaul’s expansion,
it was actually under the rule of Pepin’s son, Charlemagne,
otherwise known as Charles the Great that the country began
to flourish. He led many campaigns that greatly expanded the
region he controlled. Not only militarily inclined, Charlemagne
was also a great admirer of the arts and supported education.
He also supported the Papacy and in 800 was crowned Emperor
of the Romans.
After Charlemagne died, the throne was passed on to his son,
Louis the Pious who ruled until 840. After Louis’s death,
power was split among his four sons Lothair, who would inherit
the empire, Pepin of Aquitaine and Louis II (Louis the German)
and Charles the Bald. Different alliances formed around the
four sons and tensions flared, ending in bitter fights and
eventual fragmentation.
