GGAUL'S UNIVERSITY AUL New excavations have revealed the wealth and prestige of an ancient center of learning By Jarrett A. Lobell An aerial view of the Saint-Pierre-l'Estrier neighborhood of Autun in east-central France shows newly excavated burials. T 48 he Roman oRatoR and rhetorician Eumenius delivered a speech to the Roman governor of Gallia Lugdunensis in a.d. 298 advocating for the restoration of the famous schools called the Maeniana in the city of Augustodunum, at the center of the province. At the time of Eumenius' speech, the once-thriving city had fallen on hard times. In a.d. 269, its residents had taken sides against Victorinus, the emperor of the ill-fated breakaway state now known as the Gallic Empire (ca. 269-271 a.d.), and the city was besieged for seven months. Access to the high level of culture and education that had been central to Augustodunum's identity fell victim to a combination of circumstances, perhaps including damage to the Maeniana, funding diverted to the ARCHAEOLOGY * November/December 2021