INTRODUCTION

To explore the genesis of an aristocracy through the career of a single individual is similar to taking a short stroll down a very long lane. The limits imposed by the lifetime of Ausonius must be acknowledged at the outset. Indeed, it would be impossible to probe the nature of fourth-century Gaul, its political system and literary culture, through a study of one man’s experiences. The eyes of Ausonius, and those of the author, are firmly focused on the well-defined orbit of Bordeaux, Aquitania and Trier, and on the rise of the Gallic municipal aristocracy to the rank of provincial nobility.