Germans and Romans

57 B.C. Julius Ceasar's troops conquer a confederation of the so-called Belgae, who lived in Belgium and the north of France. Then he conquered the Nervians, who lived in Brabant and Hainaut.

51 B.C. All of Gallia, with the river Rhine as boundary in the north, was made a Roman province.

28. A.D. The Frisians, who paid taxes to the Romans, revolted and besieged a castellum called Flevum. The Romans were saved by their countrymen but the Frisians did not pay tax any more after this incident: they were free men again.

98 - 117 A.D. Emperor Trajanus installs a new form of government in the low countries. The Netherlands and the eastern part of Belgium is called the province "Germania inferior" and the western part of Belgium is the province "Belgica". The provinces were subdivided into "civitates", and the most important village of the civitas had certain rights over the other villages. The english word "city" is derived from "civitas". Trajanus has appointed some civitas: Cugernorum (with Castra Vetera as city), Batavorum with Ulpia Noviomagus (now the city of Nijmegen), and Tungrorum (now the city of Tongeren). In Belgica, the following civitates were founded: Nervia with Bavay (now called Kamerijk), Menapia with Kassel (now called Doornik) and Atrebaten with Atrecht as main city.

238 - 244 A.D. Emperor Gordianus III conquers the Franks in the neighbourhoud of Mainz.

about 250 A.D. The Roman forts at the Rhine were left and the troops move down south. This is partly because of the attacks of the Germans, partly because the sea level rises again.

343 A.D. Servatius, bishop of Tongeren, is at the church convention of Sardica and ain 359 in Rimini. This is the first proof of christianity in the low countries. According to Gregorius of Tours (who died in 594), Servatius had to move to Maastricht because of the attacks of the Germans.

358 A.D. Emperor Julianus gives the Salian Franks the status of "foederati" and gived them farmland. In turn, they must help defend the Roman borders.