This thesis discusses a number of issues related to the relationship between Gallo-Roman aristocrats and political power in Gaul during the fifth and sixth centuries. The first chapter opens with a discussion of classical literary culture and its role in defining and maintaining elite status in the later Roman empire while the second discusses epistolary literature specifically and the function of letter-writing in the period when Roman political power was fading and barbarian authority was only beginning to assert itself in Gaul. I show how individuals like Sidonius clung, in a world that was swiftly becoming entirely post-Roman, to a Roman cultural and political identity, while others, such as Syagrius, embraced the opportunities afforded by the barbarian regna. In my third chapter, I consider the growth of the ecclesiastical aristocracy and examine the ways in which those Gallo-Romans who entered the church redefined their position, creating, in the process, new criteria for the definition and expression of romanitas and nobilitas. I examine, in particular, the growth of aristocratic asceticism as a means for Roman nobles to gain new relevance and credibility in Gaul without having to enter barbarian service. I move on, in my fourth chapter, to examine the part played by aristocratic kinship in Episcopal elections in fifth and sixth century Gaul. In the fifth chapter I argue that Gallic bishops of the period were rarely interested in complex theology - or evangelism - and that modern expectations in this respect are at odds with the extant evidence. In this context, I look particularly at the famous monastery of Lérins, which is usually held to have been a great school of theology and centre of religious thought. Not only was Lérins not a theological centre, in fact very few bishops had any interest in theology. In each of the remaining four chapters, I examine some facet of the life and career of Caesarius of Arles whose career and attitudes not only represent an acute departure from the Episcopal aristocrat norm but also actually swept away much of the extant Episcopal culture and established the pattern for following bishops.

L’agglomération antique de Grand a fait l’objet d’une recherche accrue depuis plus d’un demi-siècle. Les archéologues ont tour à tour investi de nouveaux secteurs de fouille dans l’objectif de percer la nature et le statut de ce site, célèbre pour ses découvertes extraordinaires. Au fil des opérations de terrain, le mobilier céramique dûment récolté a rempli les réserves et les vitrines de musées. Si la vaisselle en terre cuite a donné lieu a minima à une notice descriptive, aucune étude générale n’a présenté son évolution au cours du temps et à l’échelle du site. Ce travail de thèse se propose de répondre à cette lacune en livrant un outil typologique indispensable pour toutes opérations archéologiques futures. Le faciès céramique de Grand établi pour les quatre premiers siècles de notre ère vient quant à lui enrichir de nombreux axes de recherche tant à l’échelle du site qu’à celui du territoire des Leuques auquel il appartient / The ancient agglomeration of Grand has been the subject of increased research for more than half a century. Archaeologists have alternately invested new excavation areas with the objective of revealing the nature and status of this site, famous for its extraordinary discoveries. During the field operations, the duly collected ceramic pots and potsherds filled the reserves, the warehouses and the museum display case. Although ceramic has given rise to a description, no general study has presented on its evolution over time and on the scale of the site. This thesis wants to answer to theses questions by providing an indispensable typological tool for all future archaeological operations. The Grand ceramic facies established for the first four centuries of our era enrichies many research axes both on the scale of the site and that of the territory of the Leuci to which it belongs

Le bois est l’une des matières premières les plus utilisées dans la construction romaine, ce qui en faitun élément clé de l’économie et de l’environnement. Mais contrairement à la pierre, ce matériau nelaisse que peu de traces sur le terrain, rendant ainsi son interprétation parfois complexe.Cette thèse tente d’aborder le bois de construction gallo-romain sous différents aspects (choix et transportdu bois, chaîne opératoire technique du travail et état sanitaire) à partir d’une approche interdisciplinairealliant Sciences de l’Homme et Sciences biologiques.Le point novateur de ce travail réside dans la réalisation d’une clé de détermination des traces (galerieset vermoulures) que les insectes xylophages laissent dans le bois archéologique. Savoir identifier ces traces conduit à de nouvelles pistes interprétatives : déterminer le moment où s’est produitl’infestation (bois sur pied, lors d’une phase de stockage, après sa mise en place dans l’architectureou après l’abandon du site et l’enfouissement des vestiges) ; estimer la durée et localiser la source del’infestation ; obtenir des indications sur les choix et les gestes des constructeurs et mieux appréhenderla conservation du patrimoine ligneux. / Wood is one of the most used raw materials in Roman construction. So timber is a key element of theeconomy and of the environment. If stone is easely discovered during excavations timber leaves a fewremains on archaeological excavations. So interpreting resultsis diffi cult.This PhD attempts to approach the Gallo-Roman timber in various aspects (choice and transport ofwood, technical chain of work and wood condition) from an interdisciplinary approach combininghuman and biological sciences.The innovative part of this work is the realization of an atlas to determine the xylophagous’s traces(galleries and frass) into the archaeological wood. Knowing how to identify these traces is importantto develop new archaeological interpretations: Is it an infestation of alive tree? Is it an infestation duringa storage phase, the use of the building or after the abandonment of the site and during the taphonomicalprocess ? To estimate the duration of the infestation and locate its origin; to document choicesand actions of the builders; and to have a better understanding of the conservation of wood heritage.