The Arena at the heart of Roman Nîmes (20 BC- 190 AC)

Nemausus

The construction of the Arena undoubtedly dates back to the end of the 1st century AD, when the town was still part of the Roman Empire.
The construction of the Arena used to be attributed to the Emperor Augustus, who did a great deal for Nîmes. Contrary to what was believed for a long time, however, recent excavations have proved that the Arena were constructed between 90 and 120 AD, and not shortly before the Christian era. The Colosseum in Rome, which served as a model, dates back to approximately the same period.

The town of Nîmes was then called Nemausus, after the god of the same name, and, from approximately 20 BC onwards, was referred to as the Colonia de Neausensis Augusta. Augustus adopted a town planning approach for this colony that was typical of a Roman town, i.e. grand buildings and city walls enclosing a surface area of over 200 hectares. The “Porte Auguste” still stands today as a testimony to this era.

"Romanized" inhabitants

At the time of the construction of the Arena, the inhabitants had completely adopted the language, laws and customs of the Roman citizens. And, like the population of Rome, the people of Nemausus adored the Roman Games, particularly the Venatio (animal hunts) and gladiator combats.
The Romans had, in fact, introduced their principals of victory with more success in the Narbonne province than anywhere else. These principles were summed up by the poet Virgil in his famous verses of the Aeneid: “Remember Roman that you must subject the peoples to your power, organise peace, spare the vanquished and quash the rebels”