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{About|the city in Gaul}

Narbo Martius

Warehouse of Narbo Martius
Location within France SpartaN/sandbox7 (Occitanie)
Location	Narbonne, France
Region	Gallia Narbonensis
Coordinates	43°11′01″N 3°00′15″E
Type	Roman city
Area	90 hectares
History
Builder	Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus
Founded	118 BC
Periods	Roman Republic to Roman Empire

Narbo Martius (full name: Colonia Julia Paterna Claudia Narbo Martius) is a Roman city founded in the second century BC, now known as Narbonne.

Narbo Martius was the first capital of Gaul before Lugdunum. It was at the center of an important junction facilitating trade between Gaul, Hispania, Italy, and the Mediterranean.

Name

A Gallic Iron Age town called "Naro" existed at the site of Narbonne since the sixth century BC. It served as a hub for local trade. The Romans established a colonia at Naro in 118 BC, renaming it Colonia Narbo Martius. Martius (Mars) being the Roman god of war. Julia Paterna is appended to the city name by Julius Caesar in 45 BC following the Gallic wars. Julia being the family gens of Caesar and paterna being the paternity of the general over the city. A reference to Claudius is later added in the title of Narbo, giving a full name: Colonia Julia Paterna Claudia Narbo Martius.

Geography

The town dominated the mouth of the Aude.

Bibliography

• Anderson, James C. (2013), Roman Architecture in Provence, ISBN 9780521825207
• Riess, Frank (2016), Narbonne and Its Territory in Late Antiquity, ISBN 9781317090700