v38_1493 - NEMAUSUS - NÎMES Bronze au Démos, VOLCAE AREC

NEMAUSUS - NÎMES

(2nd - 1st century BC)

Nemausus (Nîmes) was the capital of the Arecomic Volques. According to the coinage, it is largely influenced by Marseille. During the first century BC, in order to counterbalance the influence of Narbonne, did she support the revolt of Sertorius in Spain against Metellus and Pompey? The colony of Nîmes seems to have been founded by Tiberius Nero, husband of Livia and father of Tiberius and Drusus senior, in 45 or 44 BC.. -VS. Some authors see it rather as a creation of Caesar himself on his return from the Spanish campaign.. The city received the "jus latinum". After the Battle of Actium in 31 BC. -VS. , marking the victory of Octavian and Agrippa over the fleet of Marc Antony and Cleopatra and the conquest of Egypt the following year, Octavian demobilized part of his legions, which had become too numerous after the victory. The veterans received their "honesta missio", a sort of pension in cash and land. Many veterans came to settle in the province of Narbonnaise and a large contingent settled in Nîmes. The very important coinage which seems to start from 27 BC. -VS. shows the commercial dynamism of the city which became one of the richest in the region and which left us impressive monuments (the Pont du Gard, the Maison Carrée). The city changed status in 24 BC. -VS. , becoming a Roman colony under the name of "Colonia Augusta Nemausus" and dominating the territory of the Volques Arécomiques.