Gallic Empire: Map & History
Gallic Empire or Gallic Roman Empire are names used in modern historiography for a breakaway Western European part of the Roman Empire that functioned de facto as a separate state from 260 to 274.
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Historiographical synthesis & structured realm registry
Gallic Empire or Gallic Roman Empire are names used in modern historiography for a breakaway Western European part of the Roman Empire that functioned de facto as a separate state from 260 to 274. It originated during the Crisis of the Third Century, when a series of Roman military leaders and aristocrats declared themselves emperors and took control of Gaul and adjacent provinces without attempting to conquer Italy or otherwise seize the central Roman administrative apparatus.
Modern Countries Once Part of Gallic Empire
At its mapped extent, Gallic Empire covered territory in 6 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
- Belgium261–282 CE · nearly all
- Luxembourg261–282 CE · nearly all
- France261–282 CE · most
- United Kingdom261–282 CE · most
- Netherlands261–282 CE · a large part
- Germany261–282 CE · a small part
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Gallic Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Gallic Empire in Depth
History
The Roman Crisis of the Third Century continued as Emperor Valerian was defeated and captured by the Sasanian Empire in the Battle of Edessa, together with a large part of the Roman field army in the east. This left his son Gallienus in very shaky control. Shortly thereafter, King Odaenathus gained control of a wide swath of the east, including Egypt, Syria, Judea, and Arabia Petraea; while he was nominally loyal to the Roman government, his domain was de facto independent and has come to be referred to as the Palmyrene Empire.
The governors in Pannonia staged unsuccessful local revolts. Gallienus left for the Danube to attend to their disruption. This left Postumus, who was governor of Germania Superior and Inferior, in charge at the Rhine border.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Gallic Empire (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Gallic Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Cologne |
|---|---|
| Religions | ancient Roman religion, Gallo-Roman religion |
| Form of government | absolute monarchy |
| Founded | 260 CE |
| Dissolved | 274 CE |
Facts from Wikidata Q273025 (CC0).
Gallic Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 712,514 km² in 276 CE.
Gallic Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Gallic Empire exist?
The Gallic Empire is dated to 261 CE – 282 CE, in the Classical Antiquity era.
What was the capital of the Gallic Empire?
The capital of the Gallic Empire was Colonia Agrippina (Cologne) (260–271), Augusta Treverorum (Trier) (271–274).
How large was the Gallic Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 276 AD the Gallic Empire covered about 712,514 km².