{"id":6019,"date":"2020-01-15T11:20:08","date_gmt":"2020-01-15T18:20:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/?p=6019"},"modified":"2022-12-15T20:54:08","modified_gmt":"2022-12-16T03:54:08","slug":"cemenelum","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.roamintheempire.com\/index.php\/2020\/01\/15\/cemenelum\/","title":{"rendered":"Cemenelum, Alpes Maritimae"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Northern<\/a>
Northern Baths.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
History<\/strong><\/h5>\n

Perched on a hill above the bustling city of Nice, in a neighborhood derived from the ancient city\u2019s name (Cimiez), are the remains of the Roman town of Cemenelum. Preceding Cemenelum were both a Gallic and Greek settlement in the immediate area. The Greek settlement, Nikaia, was founded by colonists from Massalia<\/a> in the 4th<\/sup> century BCE. The name, from which the modern city\u2019s name comes, was derived from Nike, and was used in reference to a victory over the local Celto-Ligurian Vediantii by the Massiliotes and the subsequent establishment of the colony. There are several proposed locations for the Greek settlement, but so far there has been no archaeological evidence to pin down an exact location. The Vediantii seem to have maintained an oppidum<\/em> in the area after the arrival of the Greeks, likely in the area of what would become Cemenelum, which seems to be a name of Ligurian origin.<\/p>\n

In 154 BCE, attacks by Ligurian tribes on Nikaia and nearby Antipolis (modern Antibes) necessitated Massilia turning to Rome for assistance. The Vediantii do not seem to be among the tribes involved in the attacks on the Greeks. Subsequent campaigns against the Celto-Ligurians in the area do not seem to have involved the Vediantii either, nor are they listed among the tribes named on the Tropaeum Alpium<\/em><\/a> as having been pacified in campaigns in the late 1st<\/sup> century BCE by Augustus. Cemenelum seems to have been founded around this time, likely very near the Vediantii settlement, and was named as the capital of the Alpes Maritimae province that was created by Augustus in 14 BCE.<\/p>\n

\"Decumanus<\/a>
Decumanus on the south side of the southern quarter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cemenelum doesn\u2019t feature much after its establishment in late 1st<\/sup> century BCE. It seems to have flourished somewhat, though, in the late 1st<\/sup> and early 2nd<\/sup> century CE, when several large public bathing complexes were constructed and the amphitheater was refurbished. The settlement continued to serve as the administrative capital of the region until the reforms of Diocletian. In the 4th<\/sup> century CE, Cemenelum suffered during the barbarian invasions and entered into a state of decline with most of the large public works no longer serving their original purpose. In the 5th<\/sup> century, the area was largely abandoned in favor of the town that would become Nice, down near the sea and the cathedral that had been constructed there.<\/p>\n