Tongeren - Germania Inferior or Gallia Belgica?

[Tony Riches]

Chaps,

Just doing some research for book four of the Empire series, to be set over the water from Britannia, and I've hit a question that I can't answer with the sources I've found so far. Was Tongeren/Atuatuca Tungrorum part of Gallia Belgica or Germania Inferior? Can anyone elucidate for me please? Apologies if I'm asking a schoolboy question...

Thanks in advance

Tony.

[jvrjenivs]

Gallia Belgica
[url:2bn7ej5h]http://www.livius.org/to-ts/tongeren/atuatuca.html[/url]

[Tony Riches]

Thanks for that. A great site, very informative on the subject of Germania Inferior, and with, I see, the firm opinion that the town was part of Gallia Belgica on the basis that the governor of that province recruited Tungrian cavalry in the 170s to deal with an invasion by the Chauci.

Much appreciated (and blazingly fast!)

Tony.

[Tony Riches]

Interesting follow up to this. I visited the Romano-Gallo museum at Tongeren/Tongres/Civitas Tungrorum (pick your own language and time period) and discovered the museum's opinion that:

'During the reign of Emperor Augustus Gaul is divided into provinces. The 'civitas Tungrorum' belongs to the province of 'Gallia Belgica'. Emperor Domitianus divides Gallia Belgica further. Tongeren and the outlying country becomes part of the province 'Germania inferior'.

No idea as yet what this is based on, but I will talk to the museum this week in an attempt to find out. Thought a few of you might be interested.

And by the way, great museum, well worth a visit.

[D B Campbell]

"The 'civitas Tungrorum' belongs to the province of 'Gallia Belgica'. Emperor Domitianus divides Gallia Belgica further. Tongeren and the outlying country becomes part of the province 'Germania inferior".

The army of lower Germany lay within the borders of Gallia Belgica until the emperor Domitian formally created the province of Germania Inferior by subtracting territory from Gallia Belgica. (Hence, Gallia Belgica was "divided further".) But I must admit, I assumed that Tongeren remained in Gallia Belgica. :?

[Jona Lendering]

Interesting follow up to this. I visited the Romano-Gallo museum at Tongeren/Tongres/Civitas Tungrorum (pick your own language and time period) and discovered the museum's opinion that:

'During the reign of Emperor Augustus Gaul is divided into provinces. The 'civitas Tungrorum' belongs to the province of 'Gallia Belgica'. Emperor Domitianus divides Gallia Belgica further. Tongeren and the outlying country becomes part of the province 'Germania inferior'.

No idea as yet what this is based on

I think it is based on this argument: (a) we know that it once belonged to Belgica; (b) we know that it belonged to Germania Secunda during the reign of Constantine; © we know of provincial reorganization during Domitian: (d) hence, they moved from (a) to (b) during ©. It is a logical fallacy, because there may have been reorganizations we do not know about.

I think it was still part of Belgica during the reign of Marcus Aurelius. The evidence is SHA, Didius Julianus 1.7:

He ruled Belgium long and well. Here, with auxiliaries hastily levied from the provinces, he held out against the Chauci (a people of Germany who dwelt on the river Elbe) as they attempted to burst through the border.

A camp of this campaign has been identified near Maldegem. They found pebbles from the Meuse, used as slingstones; they were taken from the terraces east or southeast of Tongeren. This suggests that Didius, as governor of Belgica, could recruit his men in Tongeren, which again suggests that Tongeren was within Didius' province.

[D B Campbell]

A camp of this campaign has been identified near Maldegem. They found pebbles from the Meuse, used as slingstones; they were taken from the terraces east or southeast of Tongeren. This suggests that Didius, as governor of Belgica, could recruit his men in Tongeren, which again suggests that Tongeren was within Didius' province.

Sounds reasonable indeed. (Is this a Marschlager-type camp, Jona? Or a proper castellum?)

[Phaichtos]

Interesting follow up to this. I visited the Romano-Gallo museum at Tongeren/Tongres/Civitas Tungrorum (pick your own language and time period) and discovered the museum's opinion that:

'During the reign of Emperor Augustus Gaul is divided into provinces. The 'civitas Tungrorum' belongs to the province of 'Gallia Belgica'. Emperor Domitianus divides Gallia Belgica further. Tongeren and the outlying country becomes part of the province 'Germania inferior'.

No idea as yet what this is based on, but I will talk to the museum this week in an attempt to find out. Thought a few of you might be interested.

And by the way, great museum, well worth a visit.

I'm on their website now. Does the museum have any info in German or English? Or only Dutch?

EDIT: Nevermind, I just checked and it says the panels are Dutch, but free infos are available in German/French/English as well. I may have to pay a visit next time I am up there

[Jona Lendering]

Sounds reasonable indeed. (Is this a Marschlager-type camp, Jona? Or a proper castellum?)

A castellum. There's a photo here.