f this civilization was crossed by local variations, but
these do not contradict its Roman character. If the provincial felt
sometimes the claims of his province and raised a cry that sounds like
'Africa for the Africans' he acted on a geographical, not on any native
or national idea. He was demanding individual life for a Roman section
of the Empire. He was anticipating, perhaps, the birth of new nations
out of the Romanized populations. He was not attempting to recall the
old pre-Roman system. Similarly, if his art or architecture embodies
native fashions or displays a local style, if special types of houses or
of tombstones or sculpture occur in special districts, that does not mar
the result. These are not efforts to regain an earlier native life. They
are not the enemies of Roman culture, but its children--sometimes,
indeed, its adopted children--and they signify the birth of new Roman
fashions.

It remains true, of course, that, till a language or a custom is wholly
dead and gone, it can always revive under special conditions. The rustic
poor of a country seldom affect the trend of its history. But they have
a curious persistent force. Superstitions, sentiments, even language and
the consciousness of nationality, linger dormant among them, till an
upheaval comes, till buried seeds are thrown out on the surface and
forgotten plants blossom once more. The world has seen many examples of
such resurrection--not least in modern Europe. The Roman Empire offers
us singularly few instances, but it would be untrue to say that there
were none.

But while it is true generally that Romanization spread rapidly in the
west, we must admit great differences between different districts even
of the same provincial areas. Some grew Romanized soon and thoroughly,
others slowly and imperfectly. For instance, Gallia Comata, that is,
Gaul north and west of the Cevennes, contrasted sharply in this respect
with Narbonensis, the province of the Mediterranean coast and the Rhone
Valley. This latter, even in the first century A.D., had become _Italia
verius quam provincia_. The other lagged behind. Neither the Latin
speech nor the Latin forms of municipal government became quickly
common. Yet even in northern Gaul Romanization strode forward. The
Gaulish monarchy of A.D. 258-73 shows us the position north of the
Cevennes just after the middle of the third century. In it Roman and
native elements were mixed. Its emperors were called not only