In the burgeoning field of late classical antiquity the authors of late Roman Gaul have served as a mine of information regarding the historical, cultural, political, social and religious developments of the western empire, and of Gaul in particular. Ausonius is outstanding among these authors for the extraordinary range of material which his writings illuminate. His family exemplifies the rise of provincial upper-classes in Aquitania through talent, ambition and opportunism.

Fusing historical method with archaeological, artistic and literary evidence, Hagith Sivan interprets the political message of Ausonius' work and conveys the material reality of his lifestyle.