Thread by @jehanhillen

Orange / Arausia - Roman colony founded in 35 BC hosting some Roman remains from the first century AD. The impressive theatre is surrounded by a mysterious temple complex, a small museum with the remains of a Roman cadaster, and a monumental triumphal arch - thread 🧵🧵

The theatre of Arausia was built in the first century AD, and was therewith one of the first in this region (contemporary with Arelate). The theatre has survived exceptionally well including the podium, walls, towers and even external staircases.

The exterior wall is still intact reaching a height of 37 meters. The theatre offered space to aprox. 7000 people. Although most of the decoration is gone, the podium wall still has some columns, marble slabs and a statue of Augustus (likely replacing an earlier Apollo statue)

The entrance, one of the towers, exterior view & a reconstruction

Next to the theatre we find the hemicycle complex - named after the large semicircular wall before we find a capital, columns remains and foundations of a temple. The wall has been interpreted as part of a circus, gymnasium, or more likely an exterior wall of the forum/temple

This identification issue ties into the Roman wall found in Rue de Pontillac, which has been identified as either the circus wall or the forum enclosure with a gallery on the inside

Next to the theatre we find a small municipal museum with some Roman remains, but really relevant for a not spectacular but very informative remain: the Roman Cadaster of Arausia.

There have been three Cadasters found which indicate the level of administration in the first century AD. The remains indicate the owner, the rent, the price and location of each property. Found together with an inscription of Vespasian

Some other remains of Roman Arausia in the museum

Finally, the triumphal arch - another mystery because of the lost inscription. The arch is monumental and therefore likely imperial. It shows Roman fighting Germanic and Gallic people on the upper reliefs and spoils of war and nautical scenes in the lower parts

Some more details --> the north relief is the best preserved, but similar to the south. Spoils of war and the spoils of war from sea warfare, finally the battle scène between Romans and the, by now, conquered barbarians.

The interpretation has been difficult due to the lacking inscription. Some have connected the name Sacrovir to a local rebellion by a Sarcovir repressed by the Romans. This local event would however unlikely result in an arch and also doesn't work with the nautical theme

It seems most likely this is an imperial statement indicating that the people here Gallics and Germanics (identified by their clothing in the upper relief) had been conquered by the Romans who showcase their spoils of war. An imperial statement of conquest which fits the 1st AD!

Orange also has a Romanesque cathedral, as well as the remains of the fortress the house of Orange lived in before moving to my home country, but the church has been heavily altered in later periods. The highlights are definitely the monumental Roman remains, not to be missed!

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