User:Dr Gangrene/Roman Luxembourg

The Romans under Julius Caesar completed their conquest and occupation in 53 BC. The first known reference to the territory of present-day Luxembourg was by Julius Caesar in his Commentaries on the Gallic War. By and large, the Treveri were more co-operative with the Romans than most Gallic tribes, and the Treveri adapted readily to Roman civilization. Two revolts in the 1st century AD did not permanently damage their cordial relations with Rome.

For about five centuries, the region that is now Luxembourg was part of the Roman empire. The geographical nature of the Treveri's area, and the natural riches of the region, were to give the Moselle region, with its capital of Trier (Augusta Treverorum) an important role in the economic life of the north-western provinces of the Roman empire.

There were three main Roman roads leading through the area. These were the roads from Longwy to Trier, from Rheims to Trier, and one that led over the northern part of the country in the direction of Cologne. With their varous offshoot roads, these contributed to the development of agriculture and animal-breeding, as well as the different craftworks carried out by the Celts and their Gallo-Roman descendants. New types of economic activity, such as wine-growing in the Moselle valley and in the Sauer area, as well as the various suppliers for the flourishing construction work, offered soziale Aufstiegsmöglichkeiten.

Along these trans-regional transport routes, settlements sprang up at more or less regular intervals ("Vici"). These started out as rest stops, but quickly grew into proper towns on the Roman model. These came to be outfitted with various types of infrastructure, such as inns, theatres, workshops, baths, temples) and thus created the conditions for economic, cultural and religious activity in these localities. By the middle of the 1st century, the native houses, hitherto built of wood, straw, and clay, made way for stone constuctions in the Mediterranean style. The countryside became characterised by the presence of many Roman villas dotted over the land, with characteristic red brick roofs.

Roman remains have been found in the following places in Luxembourg:


 * Bech-Kleinmacher: A Roman burial site, and nearby, the stone of a winepress
 * Remerschen, the burial monument of a Roman wine-grower, which used to be 6 m high, depicting the deceased person picking grapes
 * Dalheim: The Vicus Riciaccus
 * Flaxweiler: The burial mound "Tonn"
 * Grevenmacher-Potaschberg: Burial monument, formerly 12 m high, showing scenes from mythology as well as the everyday life of a vineyard owner's family
 * "Weiler" forest, between Waldbillig and Lellig: A set of burial sites