E. V. Litovchenko. The Сultural Space of Imperial Provinces … 197 THE ǿULTURAL SPACE OF IMPERIAL PROVINCES AS A FACTOR IN PRESERVING ROMAN IDENTITY IN LATE ANTIQUITY E. V. Litovchenko Belgorod National Research University dz. В. ǹитȜвчеțкȜ ǯȓșȑȜȞȜȒȟȘȖȗ ȑȜȟȡȒȎȞȟȠȐȓțțȩȗ țȎȤȖȜțȎșȪțȩȗ ȖȟȟșȓȒȜȐȎȠȓșȪȟȘȖȗ ȡțȖȐȓȞȟȖȠȓȠ Abstract. This work is dedicated to uncovering the significance of provincial cultural space in the preservation of Roman identity in the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. The author concludes that the provincial elite, having replaced the old Roman aristocracy, sought to preserve the eternal ideal, which for them could not be separated from Rome. The cultural space of some imperial provinces was a factor in the preservation of traditional classical values such as the “imperial idea” (including the concept of “Aeternitas Romae”), rhetorical techniques, and others because of the system of rhetorical education, the high level of urbanization, and the Roman policy of consolidating the local aristocracy. Keywords: Late Antiquity, Roman provinces, Gaul, North African provinces, intellectual elite of the Roman nobility, Ausonius, Rutilius Namatianus, Sidonius Apollinaris, Dracontius, classical tradition. E-mail: litovchenko[at]bsu.edu.ru Copyright: © 2014 Litovchenko. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY 4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. ȁDzǸ о3 Э3Ю ǸȁǹȊȀȁǾǻǼdz ǽǾǼǿȀǾАǻǿȀВǼ ǶǺǽdzǾǿǸǶȃ ǽǾǼВǶǻȄǶǷ ǸАǸ ȂАǸȀǼǾ ǸǼǻǿdzǾВАȄǶǶ ǾǶǺǿǸǼǷ ǶDzdzǻȀǶȅǻǼǿȀǶ В ǽǼǵDzǻdzАǻȀǶȅǻȁȌ ȋǽǼȃȁ АțțȜȠаȤиȭ. ǿȠȎȠȪȭ ȝȜȟȐȭȧȓțȎ ȐȩȭȐșȓțȖȬ ȕțȎȥȓțȖȭ ȘȡșȪȠȡȞțȜȑȜ ȝȞȜȟȠȞȎțȟȠȐȎ ȖȚȝȓȞȟȘȖȣ ȝȞȜȐȖțȤȖȗ Ȑ ȘȜțȟȓȞȐȎȤȖȖ ȞȖȚȟȘȜȗ ȖȒȓțȠȖȥțȜȟȠȖ Ȑ IV-V ȐȐг țгȫг ǮȐȠȜȞ ȝȞȖȣȜȒȖȠ Ș ȐȩȐȜȒȡб ȥȠȜ ȝȞȜȐȖțȤȖȎșȪțȎȭ ȫșȖȠȎб ȕȎȚȓțȖȐȦȎȭ ȟȠȎȞȡȬ ȞȖȚȟȘȡȬ ȎȞȖȟȠȜȘȞȎȠȖȬб ȟȠȞȓȚȖșȎȟȪ ȟȜȣȞȎțȖȠȪ Ȑȓȥțȩȗ ȖȒȓȎșб ȘȜȠȜȞȩȗ Ȓșȭ țȓȓ ȏȩș țȓȜȠȒȓșȖȚ ȜȠ ǾȖȚȎг ǯșȎȑȜȒȎȞȭ ȟȖȟȠȓȚȓ ȞȖȠȜȞȖȥȓȟȘȜȑȜ ȜȏȞȎȕȜȐȎțȖȭб ȐȩȟȜȘȜȚȡ ȡȞȜȐțȬ ȡȞȏȎțȖȕȎȤȖȖ Ȗ ȞȖȚȟȘȜȗ ȝȜșȖȠȖȘȓ ȘȜțȟȜșȖȒȎȤȖȖ ȚȓȟȠțȜȗ ȎȞȖȟȠȜȘȞȎȠȖȖб Ȑ ȝȜȕȒțȓȎțȠȖȥțȜȓ ȐȞȓȚȭ ȘȡșȪȠȡȞțȜȓ ȝȞȜȟȠȞȎțȟȠȐȜ