{"id":5692,"date":"2019-08-28T21:36:53","date_gmt":"2019-08-29T04:36:53","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/?p=5692"},"modified":"2023-01-07T14:47:55","modified_gmt":"2023-01-07T21:47:55","slug":"arelate-part-i","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/index.php\/2019\/08\/28\/arelate-part-i\/","title":{"rendered":"Arelate, Gallia Narbonensis – Part I"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Ar\u00e8nes<\/a>
Ar\u00e8nes de\u2019Arles.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Most Recent Visit<\/strong>: June 2018.<\/p>\n

The Roman town of Arelate (modern Arles) seems to have begun life as a Greek settlement known as Theline, sometime in the 6th<\/sup> century BCE. In 535 BCE, the settlement was captured by the Saluvii and renamed Arelate, a Gallic language reference to the settlement\u2019s proximity to a marsh. The settlement\u2019s position on the Rh\u00f4ne River and a closer ancient coastline led to it being a relatively bustling center of commerce, despite its close proximity to Massalia<\/a>, which likely exercised some influence over Arelate for most of its early life. The eventual silting up of the Rh\u00f4ne delta made a significant negative impact on the trade of Arelate.<\/p>\n

About 123 BCE, Arelate, along with the rest of the region, fell under the dominion of the Romans. In 104 BCE, Gaius Marius constructed the Fossa Marina, a canal that reopened a navigable route from the Rh\u00f4ne to the Mediterranean Sea. With this construction, Arelate\u2019s trade once again flourished, though it still largely lived in the shadow of Masallia. In 49 BCE, during Caesar\u2019s civil war against Pompey, Arelate backed Caesar (while Massalia backed Pompey) and provided ships for Caesar\u2019s siege of Massalia. When Caesar was eventually victorious, Arelate was rewarded with Massalia\u2019s possesions, shifting the balance of importance to Arelate. In 46 BCE, Caesar settled a colony of veterans from Legio VI Ferrata; giving the settlement the official title of Colonia Julia Paterna Arelatensium Sextanorum<\/em>.<\/p>\n

\"Interior<\/a>
Interior of the Ar\u00e8nes de\u2019Arles.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

From the reign of Augustus, Arelate grew to become an important port city and was the site of considerable shipbuilding facilities. Under Constantine I, improvements were made to Arelate as it was designated as an imperial residence; his son, Constantine II was born there in 316 CE. In 395 CE, Arelate became the seat of the Praetorian Prefecture of the Gauls and in 408 CE was designated as his capital by Constantine III shortly after he was declared emperor in 407 CE. A major battle between Majorian and the Visigothic king Theodoric II occurred near Arelate in 458 CE, resulting in a resounding Roman victory. The Visigoths would be back not long after in 471 CE, again facing off with the Romans near Arelate, but this time resulting in a decisive victory for the Visigoths, who subsequently captured the city.<\/p>\n

Getting There<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Getting to Arles is relatively easy, as it is a pretty significant city in the region and is well connected by both train and bus to the surrounding areas. For example, trains leaving Marseille (the closest city with a major airport) stop in Arles pretty frequently and can cost as low as 13.50 Euro while taking as little as 45 minutes for a direct train. Check the schedules and prices here.<\/a><\/p>\n