ARAUSIO
ARAUSIO (
Ἀραυσίων:
Orange), a town in the territory of the Cavares or Cavari (Strab. p. 185), north of Arelate (
Aries), on the road from Arelate to Vienna (
Vienne), and near the east bank of the Rhone, on a stream which flows into the Rhone. Orange is in the department of Vaucluse.
It appears from Mela (2.5), who calls it “Secundanorum Arausio,” to have been made a Roman colony, and Pliny (
3.4), who has the same expression, calls it a colonia.
The name Secundani denotes some soldiers or cohorts of the Secunda legio, which
[p. 1.188]we must suppose to have been settled here.
A medal of Goltzius, if genuine, confirms this.
Orange contains a great number of Roman remains. Near the town is a triumphal arch, about 60 feet high, with three archways, of which the central arch is larger than the other two. On one of the attics the name “Mario” still exists, which has given rise to the opinion that the arch was erected in honour of C. Marius, the conqueror of the Teutones at Aix. [
AQUAE SEXTIAE] But this arch probably belongs to a later period than the age of Marius.
The amphitheatre, of which some remains existed till recently, has entirely disappeared, the stones having been carried off for building. At Vaison, a few miles from Orange, there are some remains of the ancient aqueduct.
[
G.L]
