ABSTRACT
The period of the high empire saw its own changes in the nature of western provincial urbanism. The significance of juridical titles such as ‘colonia’ or ‘municipium’ evolved, the prominence of the imperial cult and imperial images increased, and some cities developed new monumental complexes rivalling their forums.1 However, major political, social and economic changes in the west from around the middle of the third century ad altered the character and topography of the Roman provincial city to such a degree that it becomes unhelpful to discuss urban development in this period alongside that of the high empire. This chapter examines the effects of these changes on Gallo-Roman urban peripheries as a separate issue, set within the specific context of late antiquity.
