Germania Inferior

Wed, 21 Apr 2021 00:00:00 +0000

Province Description

The Augustan military zone along the lower Rhine was formally reorganized as the province of Germania Inferior, Lower Germany, during the reign of Domitian around A.D. 85. Until this time, the area had been on the eastern fringe of the province of Gallia Belgica
Gallia Belgica Pleiades: 981511 . The provincial capital was Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium \
Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium Pleiades: 108751 (modern Cologne). Numerous legionary and auxiliary bases fortified the lower Rhine frontier throughout its history. Lower Germany was bounded by the Rhine river in the north, and immediately south of this border lay marshy lowlands and the islands in the delta of the Rhine, Meuse, Waal and Schelde rivers. Northbound ships carrying goods from the interior crossed over from the delta to Britain. The province extended in the west beyond the Meuse River, and ended in the south at the Vinxtbach river. The sandy soils of the northern lowlands were of poor quality for cultivation, but they were well suited to cattle and horse breeding. The loess regions to the south, particularly to the west of the Cologne basin, on the other hand were ideal for agriculture, particularly cereal cultivation. The middle part of the province between Nijmegen and Krefeld was characterized by gentle wooded hills. The rugged Eifel and Ardennes mountains in the south and south-east of the province were mined for ores and stone of varying kinds. During the reign of Domitian (A.D. 284-305), the provincial boundaries were redrawn to extend westwards into areas formerly belonging to Gallia Belgica \
Gallia Belgica Pleiades: 981511 . The province in its late phase was renamed Germania Secunda.

Gardens of the Roman Empire

Germania Inferior

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