What If: Roman Provincal Nationalism

What would be the effects and possible outcomes if some sort of nationalism was commonplace in the Roman Provinces? I am referring mainly to Western Rome and assuming any groups from the Migration Period do not share this idea. Meaning for example Germania Inferior would not be effected due to the Franks but say the Romano-Gaulish population in there has ties to those of other provinces.

Sorry in advance for any confusion this might create, I was unsure how to word this.
 
The only group in a Roman province for which the use of the term "nationalism" is Not totally anachronistic, I would say, are Judaean Jews. There was a sense of belonging to a civilization, "civis romanus sum", but that wasn't nationalism in the sense of the Word as we use it today. But perhaps I misunderstood?
 

GdwnsnHo

Banned
So... "Provincialism"?

i.e. "I'm from Gaul, I'm a baws, you Iberians all suck", "Those dirty Iberians, coming and taking our jobs", "Gauls make the best fighters"

Honestly, I'm not sure how, from my understanding the Romans had always tried to disintegrate tribal groups by distributing their people around, making it hard for any group to have a long-term attachment and ownership of the history of a region, which nationalists tend to use.

Plus, nationalist tendancies in the Empire would probably be seen as rebellious tendancies, and risks of rebellion which must be quashed.

If instead you're just interested in a sense of provincial pride, then I can see it happen - I actually think Iberia might not work for this, but Africa/Gaul/Italia could all have their own flavours.

Gauls - Hard pressed, resilient, perhaps with some weird obsession over Julius Caesar and Vercengetorix.

Africa - Resilient again, instead focusing on the cruelty of the desert, and their ingenuity at making the Atlas mountains bloom.

Italia - Conquered everyone, we're the best, we're the richest, and frankly, why should we subsidize the provinces? More aloof.

*shrug* I don't know how realistic this is, but there are some thoughts.
 
Wasn't this true in Britannia to an extent, but on a more local level? Someone also mentioned the Jews, I suppose you could include Greece in there as well if you can get them to separate their identity from the Romans.
 
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