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Half or Gaul, joined the Roman empire without a fight, because they wanted the "riches" of the empire. They were impressed by the architecture, the efficiency of communication means, the Sarko's Pax Romana...!
The other half fought to defend the cast system (same as India's Vedic one, same origin, same gods), the "freeness" of the individual, women's right, and an articulate system of political control through assemblies of Chiefs with the Druidic politburo...!
The City was felt as dehumanizing... As a foreign concept, aggressive. Might be what a North American Indian felt when "white men" started to get in their way... It was more about ideology!
Most of the North of Europe didn't live in Roman's ways but kept through negotiation and alliances their original way of living (improving it by external imports). Till the Christianity push. Still, even when changing religion, some concessions were made.
It's not a surprise that from Charlemagne to Louis XV, France was "THE" country with such centralized power... Almost more Roman then the Roman themselves :-)
In todays Latin countries, as in France's Middle Age, you can see on a Michelin map the two superposed layers... The Roman territorial management AND the cluster of Villages that served well feudal times. The Northern countries evolved differently and you can still feel it on satellite pictures.
For the South the City was a dreamed utopia, for the North it was just a commodity. Most Latin cultured urbanist, shudders when he looks at North American cities (or Australian's ones)... He feels it's wrong, while for the people living in them, it seems quite natural.
While the Anglo Saxon culture speak a lot of community, Latin culture try to break those systemically... The City heritage! The "freedom" of each feeling, individual centered shows by houses, religion, politics. Most of those from the North. While in the South, individual freedom is not seen as so important vs the belonging to a greater level of life quality (or power, or richness) in a collective way...
I'll get back must go for now... :-) "What can I do, What can I write, Against the fall of Night". A.E. Housman
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