The foundation of Orange

The prosperity of the Greek colony at Massalia, which later became Marseilles, quickly attracted the Romans’ attention. The Greeks themselves called on the Romans in 125 BC when they came into conflict with the local Celtic tribes. From that time the Romans never left the region and extended their territory along the Mediterranean shore of Gaul. After administrative restructuring, this province which extended from the Alps to the Pyrenees was given the name Narbonensis. Until 52 BC Julius Caesar set out to conquer the rest of Gaul, finishing with his victory over the Gauls at Alesia. A few years later, around 36 BC, Orange (Arausio in Latin) was founded by the veterans of the 2nd Gallic legion of Caesar.