The study examines the space of historical discourse in which the self-image of the Roman upper class developed in Gaul between West Roman Empire and the gentile regna. It analyzes the performative potential of textual sources from antiquity and the early Middle Ages. The investigation shows that from Sidonius Apollinaris until Gregory of Tours, romanitas underwent phases of transition, hybridity, and latency.

Hendrik Hess, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn,

Germany