La Gaule transformée par Rome : Monuments Gallo-romain – Laissez-vous guider – Stephane Bern – MG

La Gaule transformée par Rome : Monuments Gallo-romain – Laissez-vous guider – Stephane Bern – MG

Veni, vidi, Vinci. I came, I saw, I conquered. I suspected that one day you would think
you were Julius Caesar. Yes yes.
I admit, I like it. In any case, we must give
Caesar what belongs to Caesar. We are all a little bit like his children. In the French language alone, 80% of the words we use come from Latin. That’s right, you’re right, we always say our ancestors the Gauls, No, we should say our
ancestors the Gallo-Romans. The city of Nîmes alone, which stretches out before us, is the most
beautiful illustration of this. It’s certain that with the Romans, it’s solid. With them, in any case, it’s always
more megas, more giga, more maximus. I’m at a loss. I’ll help you find him. Well, he shouldn’t be far away. This evening, Stéphane Bern and Lorant Deutsch
take you back more than 2,000 years to the roads of Gaul
in Roman times. Oh my!
But how beautiful it is! This is proof of the genius
of the Roman builders. From Nîmes to Lyon, the capital of Gaul. I am like a child. I find my childhood again. You see, there. Passing through Arles, our two exceptional guides will bring back from the past
extraordinary places that have now disappeared. Do you want to see?
Well look! Gigantic.
It’s incredible, it’s huge. Look, the drawbridge is
about to open for us. We’ll pass. Oh, but it’s Dogmatix. They will tell you how Julius Caesar and his heir, Emperor Augustus, brought Roman civilization to Gaul. Augustus, master of the modern world. They’ll roll me up like a spring roll. Hobbies.
Kitchen. What is horror?
It was not innate to others. The Romans completely revolutionized
the way of life of the Gauls. In Nantes, he caught a gladiator. It’s always moving to be there, it’s always moving. It was here that Christians were first thrown to the lions. We are in a state of mild madness. This is not possible. Let yourself be guided immediately to Gaul in the time of the Romans, as you have never seen it before. These Romans aren’t so crazy. They were even very clever. This anime in Occitania opens
the first chapter of our journey. The city today has some of the
most beautiful remains from the Roman era. Nîmes then became a
model city in Gaul. A forum, an amphitheater and the largest sanctuary in the country were built there in honor of
the all-powerful emperor of Rome. A monument that has now disappeared that Stéphane is preparing
to show to Laurent. Stéphane What a great idea you had
to start our Gallo-Roman journey with the Magnanimous Tower. It’s true that it’s less well-known than the arenas, but it’s still
a superb vestige of this period. This tower was part of the wall built by the Romans 2000 years ago. And from here, look, we have a sublime view
of both Nîmes and Provence. And of course, this Provence was already a Roman province long before
the conquests of Julius Caesar. It is still believed that it was Julius Caesar who conquered Gaul
around 125 BC. The Romans occupied a large part
of the south of what is now France, which stretched from the Alps
to the Pyrenees in 58 BC. Julius Caesar, who was proconsul of southern Gaul, wanted to conquer
the rest of Gaul. For what ? Firstly, because he needed a
resounding military victory to establish his political power in Rome
and the people who lived in Nîmes. The comic square flights,
they were a Celtic people, supported Julius Caesar when he
wanted to conquer the rest of Gaul. In this conquest, Caesar relied
on rivalries between tribes. This is what will become
the famous Gallic War. What triggered the Gallic Wars was a call for help, a call for help from a Gallic tribe called the Aedui, who lived in Burgundy. And this tribe takes a very
dim view of the arrival of migrants. It is the Helvetians who are starving
and who want to cross Gaul. Problem after having pushed back the Helvetians, Julius Caesar
decides to stay in Gaul. From a war of intervention by Rome
that should not have lasted long. Well, we move on to a war of occupation and the Gallic peoples, even the most faithful allies of Rome, begin to realize
that Rome is there to stay. An occupation that worries
even the tribes loyal to Caesar. Like the inhabitants of Nîmes and the Arverni, whose leader was a certain Vercingetorix, he decided to turn his back
and secretly raised a Gallic army. The Gauls’ claim against Caesar. It’s simple, it holds. In a word, it is freedom. That is to say, we do not want to be
a people subject to another people. In a few months, Vercingetorix gathered an army
of several tens of thousands of men and in -52 crushed the Romans during
the famous Battle of Gergovia. The gain is. Huge for Vercingetorix,
who appears at that moment as truly the unifier of
the Gauls against Caesar. But after this resounding victory, Vercingetorix found himself trapped
a few weeks later in Alesia, in present-day Burgundy, entrenched with his men in this fortified town perched on a hill,
he was surrounded by Caesar’s army. He will harass him and will therefore attack him continuously, night and day, with very deadly assaults. And so the besieged at Alesia will find themselves faced with a
simple problem: Vercingetorix finds himself with 20,000 men at
Alesia who need to be fed. And it’s a site that doesn’t have any sources of drinking water, for example, and it’s untenable. Beyond a few weeks. The Arverni chief is taken prisoner. Upon Caesar’s return to Rome, he was
paraded to the crowd before being executed. The Gallic resistance was crushed and the whole of Gaul
then came under Roman domination. It’s true that it
ended badly for Vercingetorix. It must be said that his people, the Gauls, were divided,
they never agreed among themselves and they spent their
time fighting each other. That’s right, there were over
100 of them from the Gallic tribes. You had the Pictons, the Santons, the Lingons, the Ataturks, the Nervians, the mediums Patrick,
the Valables and Ségur, the Sego, Bellone, the Olek, the Ombelles
and the Arvernes, the Allobroges. Do you want a stamp? In any case, the Romans
remembered the support of Nîmes. You see for example, this. Park, it’s beautiful, it’s beautiful.
Yes, he is very, very handsome. There used to be an extraordinary building here
in 25 BC. Well, the people of Nîmes wanted to thank the heir of Julius Caesar, his successor Augustus, by building
an extraordinary monument to his glory. You know, the Romans,
they saw things in a big way. As always. I’m sure you want to
see this building. I would like to.
I’m not against it. So try to open your eyes because you are going to see the most
incredible thing you can see in Nîmes. I have the impression.
Look at. Did you see?
Oh my! It’s impressive. Well, here is Laurent,
I present to you the August and man. This sumptuous sanctuary had several
buildings such as a theater, a library, and an altar
for religious celebrations. But what strikes you at first glance
is this gigantic colonnaded portico,
120 meters long and in the center guarding this central entrance which overlooks
the city and which is fifteen meters high. It’s really impressive. And the colonnades on the sides. It’s very practical because it
protects you from the sun, you see? I don’t think I’m so right. This portico was
a sort of covered street. This allowed us to go from one space
to another without going out into the burning sun that we experience
in the south of France. And that.
It hits quite hard. It is.
It’s bright. Well ! You see, Laurent, what’s funny is that the Emperor Augustus to whom
this sanctuary is dedicated is less well known than Julius Caesar, even though
he was the first Roman Emperor. Besides, here, in the center of the Auguste,
but there was a monumental statue dedicated to him, a
gilded bronze statue five meters high. You want it.
See ? Impressive.
Yes, look, you see, she’s there. Yes, imposing.
Yes, it is. It’s really cool, isn’t it? Oh yes ? And it is true that we wrongly believe
that Julius Caesar was emperor, whereas. No, Rome in Caesar’s time
was a republic. And besides, the Roman Senate was very
concerned about the separation of powers. Julius Caesar behaved like a tyrant, it ended badly and when he died,
as he had no son, it was Octavian, his great-nephew,
who became his successor. And then he was given
the title of Augustus. Augustus means most illustrious in Latin , and it is from
this that the Roman Empire was born. But before reaching the title
of emperor, the road is strewn with pitfalls. The man who is still called Octave is only 19 years old when his destiny
changes overnight. The future Augustus will discover, at the time of Caesar’s death,
that he has been adopted by Julius Caesar. He therefore legitimately becomes,
in the eyes of the Romans, his son. The problem is that this will is
not to everyone’s taste. Mark Antony,
Caesar’s chief lieutenant, immediately contests this. Marc-Antoine is that it? He is a colossus, someone
who fought with him. He hoped to be the heir for good. But unfortunately,
Caesar chose family. So he chose this 19-year-old skinny guy. However, initially, the two
enemies concluded a non-aggression pact. Mark Antony and the future Augustus will share the administration
of the Roman territorial empire. Obviously, the future Augustus will keep the most precious part of this
territorial empire with Italy and Gaul. And Marc-Antoine, who adores the East,
will manage the entire Eastern part. So it’s a way to find
a balance for a while. But the balance will soon be broken. For in the East, Marc-Antoine coos with Cleopatra, the queen of Egypt,
with whom he founds a family. For Auguste, the opportunity is too good to miss. To get rid of Marc-Antoine. The future Augustus will resort
to a rather terrible trick. He will thus reveal to all of Rome
and to the Senate that Mark Antony plans to offer as inheritance the provinces he
has conquered in the East to his children, and thus to
deprive the Roman people of them. Obviously, everyone will
find this absolutely scandalous. The confrontation is inevitable. In a few days, Augustus’ legions
crushed Mark Antony’s men. Cornered, he commits suicide. Cleopatra will limit
a few days later. From then on, Octave was the sole master on board. This is really the beginning
of the Roman Empire. It is really the emperor himself who governs this empire which has
become a form of royalty. Augustus remained at the head of the Empire
until his death, that is to say 75 years. This was an exceptional longevity for the time and it was from his
reign that it was called the Pax Romana. The famous Roman peace that would
last for almost 200 years. A period of stability which would allow Roman civilization to spread
across three continents at its peak. The Empire is immense. It goes from England to Iran via Turkey, Syria and as far as
North Africa in Morocco. Augustus, master of the world. Do you know what was also
remarkable about this sanctuary? It was this basin that you see with these two sets of steps
that go down to the water. This basin has an extraordinary symbolic significance
. Why do you think?
I don’t know. I imagine you could swim there. The Romans, they worship water, so we had to do ablutions,
stuff like that. It’s true.
But that’s not quite it. It is in fact a spring around which the Gauls had built
their first oppidum, their first village, and well before,
but well before Augustus. It was already a place that was sacred. The Gallic god Nama was celebrated there, who gave Nemausus when the Romans
arrived and today it is Nîmes. But it has always remained
a very sacred place. So naturally, when the Romans
colonized the city, they continued to celebrate
the cult of Emperor Augustus here. It was from the time of Augustus that what was
called the imperial cult was truly established. Of course, because for the Romans,
the emperor is far beyond the sacred. He is a deity, he is a god. And we are here in the center of
the woods, near the altar. This is where
all the ceremonies took place. There were fountains, lavish parties for all
these religious festivals. Above all, it was necessary to
impress the faithful. Look at the rank. There it is, this
monumental gate of the Auguste and. Hmm.
It’s still impressive, isn’t it? Augustus was caught
in a certain contradiction. On the one hand, he didn’t want to be seen
as a dictator, and at the same time, he found it very useful to be
worshipped almost divinely. Why do you think? Was it unifying to be like that, a little
above everyone else? It was unifying. Above all, he said to himself that if all these
Gauls celebrated a single God, that is to say himself, then he would
integrate more easily into the Empire. These Romans aren’t so crazy. They were even very clever. We will contradict Obelix. When the Romans landed in Gaul,
they arrived with their weapons, but also with their gods Jupiter,
Mars, Venus, Apollo and Neptune. But there is no question
of banning the Gallic gods. The Empire is big, the empire is immense, so we’re not going to waste our time
chasing gods all day long, chasing down, persecuting priests,
it’s of no interest. And there are Gallic gods for everyone
, there are hundreds of them. The most famous, that’s all, attests the god of war who will become
the famous Toutatis if Asterix. The Gallic gods and the gods. Romans coexist perfectly. They go well together, so to speak. There is great tolerance and in fact, when you are a Gallo-Roman, you worship both
the gods of the Gallic ancestors and the gods imported by the victors,
that is to say the Romans. Better still, these gods can
even completely merge. At the beginning of the Roman period in Gaul we find the names of Roman deities
Mars, Mercury, Jupiter, to which we will add a name
which is itself typically Gallic. Mars, for example, is the god
of war, Mars in Rome, but category. It is a Celtic Gaulish name
which means the king of warriors. But of course, above all these gods, only one being
dominates the god emperor. We can honestly say that Augustus succeeded in his plan, because thanks to this
astonishing religious cohabitation, the Gauls easily
integrated into the Empire. And besides, here,
at the august and man of Nîmes, the Gauls continued,
while celebrating the cult of the emperor, to practice their religion, to celebrate the
founding source, and then their god Nama. Of course,
the Gauls were civilized. They are often portrayed as big,
low-ceilinged, moustachioed brutes who are always hitting each other,
a bit like in Asterix. But.
But that wasn’t it actually. Since you’re talking about Asterix,
I have a little surprise for you. It’s true.
Yes, are you following me? Mind you, I’m a huge fan of Asterix. Exactly, that’s good, come on. Would you like to test your knowledge
on the subject and learn more about our so-called
ancestors the Gauls? Oh yes, of course. Oh ! I’m going to suggest you look at some Gallic customs and you
tell me if they’re true or false. All right.
I’m ready. So hang in there. You see, we’re in the comics. How did you do that? This is awesome! I’m looking at you. We stumbled into the middle of a banquet. The banquets are very famous.
Obviously. In Asterix,
Obelix’s appetite is legendary. They are all
eating wild boars. It is true that the wild boar is a totem animal and very important
in Gallic culture. But in your opinion, did the Gauls really eat
wild boar at banquets? Yes, why not?
Well no. But no, because the Gauls were breeders, they were
n’t hunters, they were peasants. They ate livestock, they ate sheep,
they ate pigs. On the other hand, to end a war or after a political meeting,
there was always a banquet. Okay.
Well, we’re going to another box. We continue.
Great, okay. Laurent, you know him,
the big boss, with short arms. With arms outstretched, He is our leader. Uderzo also always represents him
on his shield. So sometimes on the ground, but
because he fell into adventures. In your opinion, did the Gallic chiefs
move like this on a shield? I don’t know. Honestly, I don’t know if this was
already a practice in Gaulish times or if it’s still the work
of Uderzo and Goscinny. The answer. It’s surprising. It did happen, but 400 years later, after the fall
of the Roman Empire to the Franks. But it amused Uderzo
and Goscinny so much that they said to themselves that it was absolutely necessary to include it
in the adventures of Asterix. They got that back. Well, we move on to another box of course.
I feel like you’re having fun. I adore !
I love the world of Asterix. Where are we going?
We’re going to see Falbala. So Laurent,
I have another question for you. You see there, for example,
Obelix Asterix with shortened arms. Uderzo and Goscinny must have had a lot of fun giving
the Gauls an X suffix. Do you think our ancestors
all had an x ​​at the end? In any case, the most
famous is Vercingetorix. So indeed, there was an X there.
Yes, but it is. Not a first name, it’s a nickname of sorts, it means the very
great king of warriors. Because Ric is like Rex,
it means king. It’s an honorary title
of sorts. Not all Gauls had
a name beginning with X, obviously. We go to another square.
Okay. Oh, man, we’re good. Laurent, do you know this
character anyway? Assurancetourix is ​​one of the
favorite characters of Asterix fans. Very funny.
This is the bard. Every time in the banquet
he ends up tied up. Sure, he sings very out of tune, but do you think that was
the fate reserved for the bard? Was it
such a difficult job among the Gauls? I don’t know, but in any case, it’s true that every time, there’s a
fight with the bard. Actually no, he was a very
respected figure in the Gallic villages. Because the bard is the one who intones the tunes,
the music, the sacred songs. He sings praises to the gods. So there was little chance he would end up like that, tied up
at the end of a Gallic banquet. Did you like my little surprise?
This is great. We’re going back out because I still have
lots of things to show you. So shall we go? Come on, it’s not. Stephane. Yes, but how?
How ? How ?
How do I get out now? Stéphane I’m stuck in the box. How I. Oh, but it’s Dogmatix! Hello Dogmatix. Hi, grandpa. Hi ! Hi.
Tell me Dogmatix, I’m stuck in the box
and I’m looking for my friend Stéphane Bern. Can you help me find him? Be careful, if we succeed,
I’ll give you a reward. Wait, wait for me. Felix Ah well you’re here. I couldn’t get out of the comic book. It was Dogmatix who showed me the exit.
He is great. Oh my!
Come Dogmatix, he wants a reward. I promised him a bone, a bone!
But yeah, look, huh? Who’s this for, huh? When is it? Is there a good dog? Is this for you? Oh !
Come on, hello Dogmatix! Come on!
Hello dog! This little surprise was nice. Great ! So, it’s true that the adventures
of Asterix have sold 385 million albums worldwide,
especially in all languages. I always wondered how Uderzo and Goscinny managed to make
the adventures of this little Gaul both so
credible and so funny. I suggest you go and ask Sylvie Uderzo, who is the daughter
of the famous Albert Uderzo. Hello Sylvie.
Hello Stéphane, Hello. Sylvie. Basically, Asterix is
a bit like your little brother. He’s my paper brother. Yes, exactly.
He is younger than me. In addition.
How much? Years?
Three But how. Was this character born? In fact, it’s in the pilot newspaper
and René and my father discovered this character in a quarter of an hour
on a balcony of a council house in Bobigny. And then my father recited the historical moments of our history
and they stopped. When my father said Our ancestors
the Gauls, they said stop! It’s there, we found it. How they differentiated
between truth and falsehood, because they were sometimes criticized
for imagining the Gallo world a little. Roman.
Yes, which was necessary anyway, because we are still
in a humorous comic strip. But they had to read Caesar’s Gallic Wars,
precisely to have a historical point since Julius Caesar told
his whole story and his victories. That said, we owe them a lot because Julius Caesar,
who is still the villain of the comic strip with these famous phrases
alias jacta est, veni, vidi, vici. Item, it.
East. All cuckold and half son.
You too, my son. We did a little Latin. Yes, thanks to you,
we did this thanks to you. Me neither.
Personally. At Goscinny and Uderzo,
we learned some rudiments of Latin. Absolutely, and it has allowed for
Latin editions to be made, which has greatly helped
Latin teachers who have a little more fun with their students than with
the classic Latin versions. The languages ​​have been translated
into all languages. I remember when I was in O languages ​​and we studied Hungarian
through Asterix too. It’s incredible how
unifying it has become and how. You, Sylvie,
you lived this adventure because deep down, you were practically born
with this Asterix character. So it’s a bit of your life too
which is marked by the seal of how it is. He was little Asterix. Pretty nice, except he did
cause me some trouble at school. Ah good ?
For what ? Because I was often at the back of the class when they took
the roll and they came to my name. Uderzo I still had 30 little blond heads turning towards me and the
teacher saying where the mistress? Uderzo?
Uderzo But like Goscinny. And there you go under your table. And then even history lessons. I was so proud to say that I
knew the druid Panoramix who would pick mistletoe with his golden billhook
to make magic potion. So my father was summoned to school
and said, “Your child has total schizophrenia at eight years old, we’re
going to have to do something.” So there you have it, these are
little stories. Afterwards, I grew up, so I understood. Do you think,
after following the adventures of Asterix, that we are
indomitable Gauls? I am convinced that we are
all die-hard Gauls. The sky will not fall on our heads
in these complicated times and everything is fine. Well, the adventures continue. That’s what’s great. Asterix is ​​the griffin. This is the 39th album that came out a few
weeks ago and we really wish it well. It is always a huge success and we were delighted to welcome you
in front of this august man. It’s impressive.
It’s magnificent and I’m very proud to be here with you today
and see this monument which is colossal. THANKS.
Thank you so much. Sylvie.
Thank you Sylvie. Come on, let’s continue. The sad thing is that this august man was totally destroyed
with the fall of the Roman Empire. The stones from the porticoes were used for other buildings and then
everything ended up being buried. So, it was in the 18th century that
Roman ruins were brought to light. And around it, we created this garden,
this fountain garden. The only thing that remains
is this temple of Diana. It must have been the library of Augustus, or perhaps a place
of accommodation for pilgrims. All right. Well, now it’s my turn to
show you another building in the city of Nîmes, linked to the Emperor
Augustus, the Maison Carrée. Alright.
Yes, this square house which once formed part of the city forum
and the forum, you know to what extent it was the beating heart of all
Roman cities. Here we go ?
It’s this way. Located in the heart of Nîmes,
the Maison Carrée is one of the best-preserved Roman temples in the world
and the last vestige of another major building program launched
during the reign of Emperor Augustus. The Forum. The true beating heart of every Roman city, it marks the definitive adoption
of the Roman way of life by the Gauls. This canal is pretty. Oh yes, very.
It’s very beautiful. There are some sublime houses in Nîmes. Did you see? Titus looks at the street.
Titus. Titus Another Roman. Yes. Look at.
Who is he? Antonin? Antonin But of course,
Antonin is Antonin Square. The statue of Emperor Antoninus Pius, made of Carrara marble,
was installed in 1874. Very nice. I love it when cities are
equipped with little signs like that. We learn things. You know that his grandfather was a
senator in Rome and he was. He was Gaulish.
Gauls? Exactly.
And he is from Nîmes. That’s it, that’s it. So wait, if I remember correctly,
it must be over there. Here it is. Look, you can’t
miss it at Maison Carrée. It’s magic! Do
you realize? It’s 2000 years old, it’s still standing. Look how magnificent she is,
how majestically she sits. It’s beautiful.
But I understand. You keep talking to me
about this square house. I see it as rectangular.
In fact, we. Sir is observant. It’s true that if you measure it,
it’s 26 meters by fifteen. So it’s not a square, it’s one.
Rectangle, it’s one. Rectangle.
But in ancient times, any figure with four
sides and four right angles was called a square. So basically, it’s
a long bob. And this square house,
well, it is a new declaration of love from the inhabitants of the city
of Nîmes towards their emperor Augustus. It is a few years before our era
and the city councillors of Nîmes, the senior officials in charge of
roads, want to build a forum. The Forum The beating heart
of all Roman cities. This is where everyone comes
to talk politics, to do business,
to chat, to show off. This forum is a large public place. And in the middle stood a temple which was obviously in honor of the gods
and of the Emperor Augustus. This is our square house. On the pediment there was a dedication. It is erased today.
She disappeared. But we know what was written there since we have a reference to it
that was posted on the wall. Who is there?
To Caius Caesar, son of Augustus, consul, and to Lucius Caesar, son of Augustus,
consul designated to the prince of youth. These princes of youth
are the grandsons of Augustus. This dedication shows the
city’s attachment to Augustus and beyond Augustus, to his family,
to his daughter, to his son-in-law Agrippa. And you know to what extent,
with Augustus Agrippa, they are for me the two
most important figures of Roman Gaul. It is truly they who will shape,
forge, and mold Roman Gaul. Augustus Agrippa. It is the most
effective duo in the Roman Empire. An unwavering friendship
that lasted for more than 30 years. Auguste, on the other hand, is more of a diplomat. He is someone who is comfortable speaking,
who is also a bit worldly. Whereas Agrippa
is a military man, a man of the field,
a leader of men and both will set out
towards the conquest of the Empire. Same age, same boundless ambitions. Once in power, Augustus continued to rely on this
brilliant military general and went so far as to link their destinies
even more closely. Once the Empire was established,
Augustus wanted to thank his faithful friend by having him marry
his only daughter, Julie. He therefore brings him back
into the family for Gaul. Auguste knows
exactly what he wants. Four large regions, each headed by a governor, and
it was Agrippa who implemented the program. Narbonne, which is the province in the south
of Gaul, which represents the south of France today,
has already been Roman for more than a century. It’s even a little bit like Italy. So what Agrippa is going to do is that he is going to organize the other
Gauls, the other provinces. So there is Lyonnaise, there is
Aquitaine and there is Gaul Belgium. So this will create three provinces which will
be united around a central city which will be the
crossroads of all these Gauls. And this city will be Lyon Lugdunum. Once this administrative division was completed, Agrippa then launched
into the true Romanization of the territory. Agrippa will serve as governor of Gaul, he will begin to put in
place a certain number of infrastructures. The Gallo-Roman theatres that we will find for example in Nîmes,
Arles, Orange. It is a completely new architectural form
that will be developed in Gaul. Agrippa will necessarily add
aqueducts to be able to bring water to the baths and
fountains of the cities. So it is the whole face of Gaul which is remodeled by the
Roman Empire and totally modernized. Augustus’ son-in-law was therefore also the father of Roman Gaul,
but he always refused to receive public honors in this capacity, so as
not to overshadow his lifelong friend. So Stéphane. When the people of Nîmes completed the construction
of this square house in the 1st century AD, here you were no longer among the
Gauls, you were in a Roman town. And this square house is only one
element of the forum which is gigantic. Want to see what
the forum looked like 2000 years ago? I would like to. Do
you want to see? Well look. It’s like we’ve gone back
to the time of Julius Caesar. We are with the Romans here. Oh my! There, we are immediately in the mood. Do n’t you think this forum, all
in monochrome white stone, is a bit sad like that? It’s true, when you see the Roman remains of antiquity, today they
are a bit bare, if I dare say. In fact, they were
much more colorful. Oh yes !
Look at ! Oh yes, it’s much better that way.
That’s cool, isn’t it? Ah, that’s great! So the forum, it was gigantic. It covered an area
of ​​10,000 square meters. It is the equivalent of our
current shopping centers. And there were shops in the forum
. You see on the long sides,
you have porticoed galleries and inside there were shops
where you could buy fruit, vegetables, oil,
wine, crockery. The center of the square
was also lively. You had actors, musicians,
jugglers, but also scribes, public writers, notaries,
lawyers, civil servants. Because the forum was also the
political and judicial center of the city. Look at the building in the background,
there, all marble, you see? Well, that’s the Curia. It is the equivalent of the Senate in Rome,
but on a local scale and all around. You had the administrative buildings,
the land registry, the archives, the treasury. All the forums are built in the same way in the Roman Empire,
you see, there is a kind of Roman-style globalization across the
entire Mediterranean basin. Build replicas of the forum. It must have cost a crazy amount of money. Did Rome have the means to make replicas of
itself throughout the Empire? Not really actually. Because you should know
that the bulk of the state budget, if I dare say so, went
into the military budget. In the army, it was the army that allowed the empire to expand and
the conquests to be maintained. So you’re going to tell me yes, but then
for the cities, where did the money come from? Well yes Laurent, for the cities,
where did the money come from? It is the wealthiest residents of the city who pay for
public buildings in exchange for this generous patronage. Well, the most invested city dwellers got the
highest positions in the city. There is one supreme goal
for the Gallo-Romans, the Gauls. What they want
is to gain Roman citizenship. Look at the statues that adorn the square. Well, these are those
of the city’s notables. And they are Gauls, they are sons of Gauls,
grandsons of Gauls who have Romanized their name. This shows you how much the Gauls threw themselves wholeheartedly
into the novel Way of Life. The way of life of the Romans. In Rome, we do as the Romans do
and now Gaul is serum. And it’s quite a revolution
for the Gallo-Romans. A revolution that starts
on the plate. Forget the large boiled dishes of the Gauls, the Gallo-Romans discovered
new and tempting flavors. The Gauls were accustomed
to eating anything that was meat, for example beef
and of course pork. This was not at all a common practice for the Roman elites, who would
rely more on, for example, the consumption
of duck or even foie gras. Thanks to their relationship with the eastern provinces, the Romans also brought
with them to Gaul new fruits that did not exist until then, such as the
apple, the pear, the peach and the cherry. Very quickly, the Gallo-
Romans forgot about beer. They begin to toast with
the Roman drink, wine. In the minds of the Romans,
beer was a drink of barbarians. So when we colonize a new territory, we take
the vine, its culture and the wine with us. With the Roman conquest,
things changed completely since the Gauls and Gallo-Romans
began to produce wine themselves. Italian wine producers will,
in a way, relocate their vineyards, their know-how,
their wine-making techniques to Gaul. This is how simple consumers, the Gallo-Romans,
became formidable winemakers, to the point that 40% of the wine served
in Rome was of Gallic origin. The Gallo-Romans
also adopted Latin very quickly. The Gauls wrote very little, the Gallo-Romans began
to write everywhere and all the time. It will ultimately be a real revolution
for the Gallic people. We find inscriptions carved
on temples, even children’s class exercises that are
sometimes found engraved on painted plaster. Suddenly, we move from an oral society to a written society
in one or two generations. And who says Roman culture
also says culture of the body. From now on, in Gaul, women and
men become terribly coquettish. The Romans and Romans are very
attentive to the quality of their skin. So the Gallo-Romans followed their
example and began to apply ointments and oils to their skin
to keep it soft and well hydrated. For example, olive oil is used
as a basic cosmetic. And to always be at the forefront
of antique fashion, you have to wear makeup. Gallo-Roman women will imitate
the examples of Roman aristocrats. We are going to whiten our complexion with
the equivalent of a foundation called white lead,
which is lead-based. So I’ll let you imagine
the damage to the skin. We will put black on the eyelids, on the eyelashes, to obviously reinforce
the look and make it more attractive. And we’re going to put red
or purple on our lips. And even in their clothing,
the Gauls adopted Roman fashion. For. Stéphane, I have a new
surprise for you. I invited some Gallo-Romans to
tell us about their wardrobe. Hello, hello everyone.
Hello Christiane. You define yourself
as an archeo-stylist, is that right? That is to say that you are passionate
about ancient fashion and to put together your outfits, you do a real
job of archaeology. Yes, absolutely.
But when I think of the Romans, I
immediately imagine very transparent people. It’s white, cottony, light, certainly not colorful,
whereas here, it’s very colorful. It’s very colorful indeed. Because white is
an idealized color. In fact, we all have dyed clothes, dyed with
vegetable dyes. My outfit, for example, would have been dyed with
wild vines, maybe even walls. And this outfit is called a peplum. No, a peplum.
But peplum. I think that was the name given to all
American films about Antiquity. Hollywood has taken up this
garment as a symbol. It is a garment that is made
of a single piece of fabric. I am dressed here in a single piece of fabric that is three meters
long and one and a half meters wide. It starts from one shoulder, goes under one arm, the back,
and comes back to the first shoulder. So, you also
wear a peplum? So no, me, the. The
garment I’m wearing is called the Keaton, which means it’s made of two
pieces of fabric that are joined at the shoulders but remain
open at the sides. And this one has the particularity of having a reverse that we can often see on
statues and which is called the OS diploma. But now I feel like there’s
an intruder in the group. I thought I recognized a Gaul
because there, really, with the typical colorful outfits, these kinds of pants
that we called breeches I think. There you go, that’s it. In fact, they are pants
with a very wide crotch. We didn’t have
elastic fabric at that time. And if we want to ride a horse,
squat, make a fire, fight with the neighbor, well,
we need a certain ease. This is what characterizes the real ones. The real ones will
still last a long time. So, tell us a little
bit about Roman outfits. Introduce yourself. We have a moment of Roman. He wears a tunic,
that is to say a robe. In fact, this Roman has a particularity:
it has vertical bands, stripes. Reflective for the night.
To avoid doing so. Crush by one.
Tank. But suddenly, he will get
noticed thanks to these bands. And among the Romans,
everyone will know that the gentleman is an equestrian, that is to say that they
already belong to the political class. So at the bottom of the political class, the. Clothing is a social marker. Quite. So you know at the time
who it is. Who are you dealing with? You are dealing with the
way he dresses. If we talk about senators, well we’re going to have something
much more imposing, and it’s on this type of clothing
that we’re going to be able to put the famous one. Toga. Toga which is a very
complex garment to put in place. It’s true.
Oh yes. That’s it, right? There
is. A volunteer there? Oh yes, wait,
but wait for me, I want to. With big.
Pleasure, I want to be dressed there. This is the tunic, is it? Yes, but then wait, because there, there, suddenly, I swear that something,
I am not a senator. Yes, yes, yes. But I say today,
exceptionally, we have the right. With the rendering. And suddenly the famous one.
Toga. So expect the manipulations,
do not hesitate to handle the article. But we’re not going to deprive ourselves of it. They’ll roll me up like
a spring roll. So how’s it going? We have a toga here,
it’s one of the great togas. It is nine meters long, but
still weighs four and a half kilos. We’ll start with the left shoulder. Yes, that’s it. So we start by putting
the toga perpendicular to the arm. We’re going to do a first round. Oh well, that’s true.
We are in the third round. Yes, it’s finally starting.
It’s beautiful. Thanks Stéphane, He still has
a problem, it’s that by. For example, there are lots of folds,
it’s great, it makes… Pockets, but there are no pockets. The folds make pockets, we look. There I can put
a handkerchief, there is one. Huge pocket that we call,
that we call a sinus. I am the senator of Nîmes and now I
no longer look at Nîmes in the same way. He thinks he’s Julius Caesar. Well, thank you Christian
for all these explanations. Thank you for giving me this
new status as senator. But it’s all one. Pleasure and we will
continue our journey. Stéphane We saw a magnificent
vestige here, the Maison Carrée. There are also
extraordinary arenas in Nîmes. There is another very important vestige that passes through Nîmes,
it is a road, the Via Domitia. It’s very close from here. Follow me, we’ll
borrow my chariot, my chariot. I don’t know if I’ll keep
my gown on when driving. We will try.
Come on, let’s go. Why not ?
We’re going. Go.
Why not ? But we’re going to get arrested by the police.
But no, not at all! Come on, all CUCS Yes, but finished? Yes. Yes. The Via Domitia is the first major road built by the Romans in
Gaul to connect the Alps to the Pyrenees. Today, the A9 Languedoc motorway
still partly follows its perfectly straight route over long distances, with
a well-preserved section. Laurent drives Stéphane
to the Embrun site. We are 30 kilometers southeast of
Nîmes, where a new surprise awaits him. Well. You drive as fast as you talk. Well, here we are, we have arrived at the
archaeological site of Embrun, Comme. In the bush, like in the old days It was
the name of a Gallic village. But above all, there is here a sublime vestige of the Via Domitia which has
come down to us. What’s also great
is that there’s a museum here, and there are organized tours
for groups and school groups. Besides, I think we’re going to see some. Yes, we’re going, we’re going to visit. There is a small bucolic path. We’ll borrow it. Stéphane Yes.
Laurent, I have. I am honored to tell you that you are
currently walking the Via Domitia. Over 2000 years of history
and these cobblestones are still there. You mean Augustus passed by there
when he visited his colony in Nîmes? So these cobblestones are a real challenge. It’s not just Augustus. Julius Caesar himself probably
passed through here when he conquered Gaul. Because this road is the first
road in the Roman network in Gaul. It dates back to 118 BC,
when the Romans needed to connect with their new
conquest of the time, which was Spain. So to get from Spain to Italy, they needed a route
along the Mediterranean coast. But at that time, around this road,
there were Gauls. So to convince them to ally with them, the Romans
will send a general called
Arnaud Barbu, Domitius Barbu, on this road. Hence the name of this road. And legend has it
that to impress the native Gauls, this Roman general
traveled on the back of an elephant. This means
that the road had to be solid. We see them.
Traces, right? Oh well. Yes, it wasn’t just the military
who used this road. Be careful, it was also a
very busy communication route, an axis of exchange, there was a lot of traffic,
so it was necessary to build on solid ground. And it’s crazy to think that this road
is still there 2000 years later. It’s incredible. Do
you know why? Because in fact, under your feet, there is a real concentration
of technology, right? Do you want me to show you? Look carefully. First, to dig a road, the Romans dug a ditch
1 to 2 meters deep. Then they laid down mortar. To place the Maine status. It is a set of two
flat stones that are arranged on the bottom. Basically, it’s the foundations. On top of that, they will deposit the stream. There you go, these are smaller stones,
you see little pebbles. Oh my! And finally, on top,
we put the nucleus. It is a mixture of sand
which made it possible to equalize the level. And finally, when approaching towns,
villages or in rather difficult passages like here, you see, we went up,
well we put gravel, flat stones and slabs, you see,
a bit like we see today in ancient cities,
a bit like there, you see. Have you noticed Stéphane? The road is not flat,
it is curved to allow rainwater to not
stagnate, to run off, to be evacuated into drainage ditches
that run along the road. You’re not stupid, are you? Wait, I’ll check
that everything is in place. It’s good. See you soon.
There is even the milestone. It is the ancestor of our
kilometer markers. They were placed on the road every Roman mile, which is
approximately 1.5 kilometers. It’s a bit like English miles. Yes, it is the same unit of value.
So what? As you can see, there are
inscriptions on this milestone. This is roughly the distance remaining
from where it is located to the
nearest towns. Did she see you? She is tall,
she is two meters high. The milestone, do you know why? So that we can see it from afar and. Especially at horse height. It was for the riders. And besides, even today, in France, in certain cities,
you have this double level of reading. There is a level at head height
for pedestrians, but you have higher ones because it was at a time when there were
no cars yet. This allowed the coachmen on their carriages to
also read the name of the street. We didn’t invent anything, did we? As you say. What’s incredible is to think that 2000 years ago,
well, the Romans, they had imagined all this in a very
pragmatic way, but then I find that they were visibly obsessed
with the straight line. And that’s Pythagoras’ fault. You know, the Greek mathematician we
learned about in school, who was obsessed with triangles,
right angles, straight lines. The Romans were inspired by this and
quickly understood that the shortest path to go from one point to another
was a straight line. And sometimes there is the relief that prevents. Sometimes he made detours when there
were mountains or rivers, but when the detour was too big,
he didn’t hesitate to dig tunnels in the mountains or build
bridges like here in Ambre or Soum. And there remains a magnificent vestige of it. Look, there’s one arch left. Oh yes ! So it’s nothing
compared to what it was. There were eleven arches that allowed
the Via Domitia to span the entire valley. The secret of
the Roman Empire’s success was the road. It was thanks to the roads that the Empire was able to expand throughout Europe,
the Near East and Africa. You have to imagine that there were nearly 150,000
kilometers of Roman roads. It’s a real road star,
a spider’s web, you see? And there were 34,000
kilometers of them in Gaul alone. No matter where the Romans set foot, roads
developed everywhere. As we all know, all roads lead to Rome, and those of
Gaul are no exception. Once again, it was Augustus
who had all these roads built. Its purpose is to allow its
legions to move around easily. The legions are not just legionnaires,
they are also a sequel that is behind and therefore it must be
moved at the same time. And so this entire network of wide, well-supervised and well-maintained roads allows this
military deployment in the provinces. This network of roads that runs from the north of France to the Pyrenees,
crossing forests and wild lands, connects towns
and villages. It is almost as long
as going around the world. This network of roads is structured by four major Roman roads
which all start in Lyon. One headed west along the Aquitaine route towards
Saintes and Bordeaux. Two other lanes led
north. The Ocean Route which, via the Seine Valley, made it possible
to connect the English Channel and the island of Brittany. The Rhine route, which connected Italy to its garrisons, was located
on the Rhine, directly opposite the Germans. And then, of course,
the Italian road and the Narbonne road, which connected
Lyon to the capital of the Empire. On this well-organized road network,
the imperial post office developed, responsible for delivering
important news throughout the Empire. It is extremely effective. For example, the death of Nero. It took her six days to cross
from Rome to Spain. It may not seem like much, but it’s still a whopping
170 kilometers a day. And why?
Because most of the time, this journey is in a straight line
and therefore it goes much faster. But these Roman roads also became a formidable
playground for brigands. Let’s not forget that at the time,
you had your money on you. So we can be
robbed and killed very easily. There is a police force,
a traffic police force, a prefect who is delegated to deal with banditry
because banditry is enormous. Today,
highway robbers no longer exist. But the Gallo-Roman roads, yes,
because our modern highways follow almost the same path
as these ancient roads. You know, Stéphane, the Romans
had everything planned. Because on these roads
you had rest areas. A bit like today on our
highways where you could find stables to rest horses
or change horses, garages to repair chariots,
but above all inns to allow travelers to
rest and eat. Hello young people!
Good morning ! Are you visiting? You know that here you are
on the equivalent of the highways in Roman times, so there were
rest areas. I hope you have planned
something to drink, something to eat, something to eat because
it’s very hot. It’s hot, are you okay? Do
you have water? Well, up there, you can rest, take a break
like our ancestors the Romans did. Have a nice walk. Thank you, have a nice day, goodbye. So you know, there is another area
where the Romans revolutionized the daily life of the Gauls, and
that is access to water. And I suggest you go and
discover with me one of the most impressive
Gallo-Roman remains, the Pont du Gard. Oh. I
adore ! Here we go ?
Oh sure, we. It’s parked there, we. Take
the cart again. We make the modern cart. The Pont du Gard, northeast of Nîmes,
is one of the most famous monuments in France and one of the most emblematic
of the Gallo-Roman period. Built in the 1st century AD, this impressive structure, a
UNESCO World Heritage Site, is the only three-story Roman bridge
still standing today. Oh my!
But how beautiful it is! I remember, I came when
I was little, I was amazed. And here I come back. I’m still small,
I’m still amazed. I understand you. Admit that this is proof
of the genius of the Roman builders. And how.
They imagine. Almost 50 meters high, 275 meters long and even
in time for the top floor. There were twelve more arches, making
the length 360 meters. This is an incredible job. It took them less than five
years to build this. There were 1,000 workers who were there every day on the construction site,
there were slaves, there were specialized workers and there
were a lot of soldiers because it took a certain skill to assemble
50,000 tons of stones like that. There was a whole ingenious system
of cranes to lift these stones. Do you see in front of you? You seem to think it’s a bridge,
but it’s actually a pipe rack. The top floor is what
supplies water to the city of Nîmes. Obviously, the Pont du Gard is one. Aqueduct built exactly around the
years 40 to 60 AD. Actually, that’s the visible part. Because in reality, the aqueduct which is 50 kilometers long to go from the source
to fourteen kilometers from here to Nîmes. What I suggest is that we go up to show you the place
where the water flowed to reach the city of Nîmes in the time
of the Gallo-Romans, 50 meters high.
Because I’m a little dizzy. No, no, it’s going to be fine, you see. Honestly, I think
it’s worth the trip. It’s not an aqueduct,
it’s a rainbow. Oh !
Sir is a poet. Yes, a little bit. It’s still going up. Here we are at the top of the Pont du Gard. It’s up to
you to give it back to them. It was worth the trip, right? The panorama is breathtaking. It’s a little dizzying though. And it’s at. You know where we are. We find in this gallery which was the gallery where the water came at the time,
this water supplied the fountains of Nîmes, the private houses,
the public baths. And then, 90% of it wound its
way underground through the scrubland. But sometimes the terrain forced
the engineers to find a solution. Because, like this Gardon valley
which obviously imposed an obstacle, it forced the Roman engineers
to build this gigantic bridge. Don’t you hear a noise there? It looks like water. Yes, it’s water! Look at ! Do n’t worry Laurent,
your feet will stay dry. She’s going to pass us
under these steps. The principle of the aqueduct
is simple: gravity. The source must always be at a
higher point than the final destination. That you cannot see with the naked eye. In fact, on this last floor of the
Pont du Gard, there is a difference in level of 25 cm. Every kilometer can be enough.
It can trickle down. To flow, not to flow, obviously. What is very important
is to have clear water. The water was sent to a settling tank, so
that the impurities were deposited. Then it’s on to a canal. Moreover, the waterproofing
was guaranteed by mortar. The water wound through the scrubland and arrived to supply
the city of Nîmes. Imagine, there were 35 million
liters of water arriving in Nîmes every day, that is to say about
fourteen Olympic swimming pools. In Gallo-Roman society, it was
absolutely essential that water flow freely. For the Romans, water is essential,
it is everywhere in everyday life. You have to imagine that almost on every
street corner in Rome there is a fountain. The Gallo-Romans had
a real cult for water. They attribute miraculous virtues to it. It is said to have the power to cure headaches,
foot problems and even combat paralysis,
a spa treatment before its time. There is an old Roman
saying about health through water. It’s for us. This means that to stay healthy, you have to be clean, you
have to wash. This is why there is not a single
city in Gaul that does not have its own terms, its temples dedicated
to water and well-being. Nîmes even had nearly ten of them. Every day after 12 noon, the entire population
flocks to these establishments. She gets access to the baths
for a few cents. We will go directly to the hot room, the hot bath or we will take
a bath at a fairly high temperature. And then right after we’re going to
immerse ourselves in a cold water bath. We will retrace our steps
in a bath of cold water. It’s an opportunity to take care
of your body too. His slaves will coat him with oil. He will be able to bathe and enjoy the benefits of a sauna
or a hammam, for example. And it is also a place of sociability. It’s the place where we
meet, where we talk. We literally come and spend two, three, or
even four hours a day to meet people, to chat and to find out
who we’re going to have dinner with that evening too. The thermal baths were the
favorite meeting place of the Gallo-Romans. They play sports there, attend conferences,
but above all they do business. Contracts are signed in the humid heat, a place so important that
architects don’t skimp on luxury. They drip from floor to ceiling. The thermal baths are truly
grandiose establishments. You have to imagine marble,
decorations everywhere, frescoes. You have to imagine several cathedrals next to each other,
in terms of size and height. Under the ceiling, you have to imagine huge swimming pools
with water flowing continuously. But behind this luxury lies
a true technological revolution: the Hypo Costes, a powerful fire that
produces hot air which is redistributed under the thermal baths
thanks to a raised floor. This is the birth of underfloor heating. Unfortunately, Laurent,
nothing remains of the Roman baths of Nîmes. What remains, however,
is the large reservoir which was the arrival point
of the Pont du Gard aqueduct. The castellum. This reservoir where water was stored and distributed to the entire city,
district by district. With this Pont du Gard, we see all the
innovative and visionary genius of the Romans. I would like to introduce you to Robert. Robert is a
college professor of classics. He is passionate about ancient civilization and has founded an
association called Arrête ton char. Hello Robert, thank you for being with us. I would like to understand how the Romans were visionaries
and precursors of our modern world. So the Romans. They
helped us a lot with everything architectural and we have a good
example here with the Pont du Gard. It’s not for nothing that it’s
found on the €5 bill. And it has the particularity of being
built in dry stone. So that’s a tour de force
without a single drop of mortar. And he also mastered concrete. Already the inventors of concrete.
Exactly. So this allowed the Romans
to actually build vaults. The Pantheon in Rome, the largest dome in the world,
43 meters without metal frame. It is an invention
that is purely Roman. One thing that fascinates me
is that we have the feeling that, for example, in Greek civilization,
beauty was prioritized. And among the Romans, certainly, these are
very beautiful architectural elements, but comfort takes precedence. Yes, so we have all the modern comforts in the richest Roman houses,
we first have the current of what is still an important advance
that we will lose in the Middle Ages. And then it was the Romans who
first put glass in to block windows, to protect themselves from the wind,
to protect themselves from bad weather. And in some houses,
notably in Pompeii and Herculaneum, we have found sets with double
glazing of windows separated by a few centimetres to create a vacuum
which allows insulation. And of course, this double glazing will also be very useful for keeping the heat
in throughout the Roman Empire. Water was very important
in the Gallo-Roman world. Hygiene is something
that is really essential, isn’t it? Quite. Yes. Hygiene was
a constant concern for the Romans. And for this, the Romans became
specialists in plumbing. Obviously, this was not
without posing some problems. Some have even gone so far as to say that the lead in these pipes somewhat
hastened the decline of the Roman Empire. Lead poisoning? Quite.
The disease of the.
Lead. Especially in terms of medicine,
on the contrary, the Romans were extremely modern,
so they may have missed out on the lead, but for the rest,
they were still pretty darn good. Ahead of time, especially in surgery. The surgeon’s equipment is
ultimately quite close to ours. We find scalpels, we find
forceps, we find catheters, clamps. So we were able to cauterize a wound, to ligate
a vein that was severed. We were able to remove tonsils and
also operate on cataracts. Which is quite surprising. Thanks Robert, that was fascinating. I now suggest to you,
my dear Laurent, that you go and discover in a city
which, incidentally, disputes with Nîmes the title of Little Rome of Gaul,
a monument whose existence you do not even suspect , which was
the pride of the Romans. Where are we going?
Are we going? In Arles, at. Arles And there, we.
Here we go. Okay, I.
Follow you, let’s go to Arles. I think that’s what they say. Yes, we say that, but in fact it’s
because of the alliteration in Arles. Going to Arles, yes, it is. On the road or rather by boat
for the continuation of our trip. Built around the Rhône,
Arles was one of the most
prosperous cities in southern Gaul during the Gallo-Roman era. Because the river is a real highway where all the goods
to and from Rome circulate. To pass from one bank to the other. The people of Arles once used a unique bridge in the Empire, which was nothing short of
astonishing. Hey! This little
cruise on the Rhône is really nice! Do you have to imagine, Laurence,
that in ancient times there were hundreds of boats
that could be crossed? Because it’s true that river transport was ultimately both
faster and safer than road transport. There is a real connection, in a
way, between Arles and Julius Caesar. It must be said that, after the conquest of Gaul, Julius Caesar
believed himself to be the sole master in Rome. But he had a real rival who was
the very popular general Pompey. And Pompey tried to block his path by allying himself
with the city of Marseille. So Julius Caesar allied himself with the city of Arles,
which supplied him with ships. He led the siege against Marseille
and against Pompey, so that, after long months of siege,
Julius Caesar was victorious and the city of Arles gained
its status as a Roman colony. Thank you Jules. Yes, it is no coincidence
that it was here, in Arles, that what is believed to be the oldest
bust of Julius Caesar was found in the waters of the Rhône about fifteen years ago. So. But you know,
Julius Caesar was revered here. Veterans of the Roman legions settled with their families on both
banks of the Rhône and elsewhere to cross from one bank to the other, and the
Roman engineers built a bridge. It was a rather original bridge. Do you want to see it?
Why not ? Here it is. Wow! Well, it’s the boats actually, they’re
boats tied to each other. There were about fifteen boats
tied up, on which large
wooden beams had been placed to support the footbridge over which
pedestrians and carts passed. This pontoon bridge in Arles was
renowned throughout the Roman Empire. The boats had to be tied down really well. Because you’re watching. There are stone blocks like this
that were used to moor these boats. You see, on each side. Well, there were these front doors. Look at those big triumphal arches
with those sculptures above them. And then there were two drawbridges
which allowed small boats to pass, either up
or down the river. Look, look, the
drawbridge is about to open for us. We’ll pass. That’s great!
Yes. This is the principle of the drawbridge. Hop, it’s rising. But why didn’t they
just build a stone bridge? Because the Rhone is
a capricious river. There are often devastating floods and so the boats rise
and fall with the floods. And above all, a stone bridge would not have
resisted the impetuosity of the Rhône. And then there’s all the debris,
the tree trunks, the stumps, the things that go by and end up
like battering rams. It destroys the structure. This boat bridge in Arles, which was renowned throughout the Empire,
also had another function. It was a kind of customs. And so, thanks to these customs duties,
the city became considerably richer. But above all, it allowed the inhabitants of Arles to build
sumptuous houses. Goodbye to Gallic houses made
of wood and mud. The Gallo-Romans built
real palaces. These are the domus and those of the merchants of Arles have nothing to envy
of those of Pompeii. It is a rich habitat reserved for the upper classes of society,
somewhat comparable to our private mansions in
city centers today. Wealthy houses. Which can exceed 1000 square meters statues, marbles,
columns, everything here recalls Rome. We enter the room
that leads to all the others. A large room open to the exterior, with a colonnade, often a garden, and
sometimes a pool with marble columns. And then we proceed either towards the reception rooms,
the banquet halls, the offices, or towards the more private part, the
bedrooms, the kitchen, etc., etc. Here, luxury is on full display. In Arles, archaeologists have discovered extraordinary
wall paintings as beautiful as those in Pompeii. Faces that are more than 2000 years old. Even more astonishing, in these houses,
the Gallo-Romans enjoyed maximum comfort, a modernity
that was centuries ahead. We have heating systems that are
present in the coldest rooms. The wealthiest houses were
connected to the urban network and had almost running water in the house,
in the form of fountains, basins, but also water inlets
in the kitchen, private baths for some,
small balneotherapy centers, small baths which were in the house
for daily washing. But like today, when we are in the city and we have less
means, we live in an apartment. These are the HLM from the Gallo-
Roman era, they are the insula. This urban architecture,
these islanders, it looks a lot like our Oceanian cities,
our current cities where we walk in streets where the ground floors
are intended for shops. We have independent stairwells leading up to apartments
intended for a generally very standardized family, which would
ultimately resemble our current two-bedroom apartments. With kitchen, bathroom,
living room, one, two or three bedrooms. There is no running water or heating here. The water rises up the floors
only by the strength of the wrist. And the higher you go, the smaller the apartments are, a bit
like our maid’s rooms. She told me: I, the people of Arles, had nothing to envy
the rich Romans. The sauce had taken well, as they say. And all this thanks to the portorium,
the ancestor of customs duty. You have to imagine that here,
in the 1st century, it was teeming with people. There were dockers, boatmen,
merchants, shipowners from all over the Mediterranean basin,
but also from Brittany, that is to say present-day Great Britain,
and also from Germany. Arles is truly a strategic crossroads and this pontoon bridge
constituted a break in the load, meaning that the large boats
were obliged to unload their cargo and then put everything
in the warehouses. We reloaded onto small boats
which alone had the right to pass. And tell me. I imagine that
this pontoon bridge disappeared after
the fall of the Roman Empire? Oh no.
No, no! You know the craziest thing is that this pontoon bridge
survived until the 19th century. So the boats were not the same. Obviously, they had been
changed in the meantime. But until the 19th century, there
was this poetic bridge that allowed people to cross the Rhône, but look,
it has been replaced by a fixed bridge. Well, it’s not the same style, you. Do
n’t see the same. History.
On the other hand, I have some very beautiful things to show you and some
surprises that I have in store for you. Would you like to take a tour
of the old town of Arles with me? Gladly.
Come on, let’s go! How pretty it is!
But I love it! You see, whenever I’m in the south,
I’m like in a hot bath. It’s super nice. But look at this house,
especially the colors. Look, it’s beautiful! Do
you smell jasmine? I smell jasmine,
jasmine, honeysuckle. Hey, it’s jasmine. Jasmine Yes, star jasmine. But hello, how are you? That’s true, but
at the same time, we have. Hard to recognize you with the mask.
Oh that’s nice! Thank you so much ! People love you. And you too. I noticed that people liked
you a lot. You are on Rue des Thermes,
Roman baths, many Roman baths. So we have to take the street of the square. So here we are
at the location of the old forum. There were a lot of stalls and
especially finding thermal baths on the podium. Do you know what
a thermo podium is? So it’s a Latin word.
What does it do? Is this referring to the
Battle of Thermopylae? No, no more. So the thermal baths, maybe? So maybe there were
shops there where you could buy everything related to beauty,
hygiene, and maintenance. You should think about thermal baths instead. What’s in a thermos? Well, there are hot drinks. And here is the Podium thermos. It was a place where, literally, you could find food
and hot drinks. These are basically the first
takeaway sales. I don’t like the English word, but we
call it takeaway fast food. It works too. And I suggest to you now, instead of
talking only about ancient cuisine. Good morning !
Well, it’s about tasting it. Oh yes, gladly. We’re going to meet Stéphane Cellier again. Hello Stéphane.
Hello Stéphane. Hello Laurent. So, let me introduce you to Stéphane Cellier,
he is a professor of classics. But above all, he is
also a fine gourmet. Yes yes, one.
Passionate about cooking. In an ancient kitchen. I had an image in my head, it’s We always imagine the Romans
lying like that on their armchair or their sofa, practically sprawled like
divas, divas gorging themselves. In fact, most of them were
standing often, so standing. Indeed, they lived in very small spaces,
depending on the social class. So the class, we imagine the aristos. He was lying down exactly as they
had the space in their domus. On the other hand, for the common people, in
fact, the tradition is to eat outside. So, how did it go?
What are the dishes? Because we really want to know this
cuisine a little better, it is tasty, it is flavorful,
it is good, very spicy. In fact, they are very blends.
Spicy. Sweet and salty, a search for a
very complex concentration of flavors. Besides, I
might invite you to taste it. Yes, I would like to,
but we will try of course. Here is the map. Oh, look, here’s Laurent. You see, there
are three fraudulent anuses here. You know, it’s all strange,
it’s very strange. Actually.
These are Latin names. Wait a minute, we have oysters
, I know about oysters. Hello, ten minutes
is not it at all. Where is the Minitel? He is here, there He is. It’s hot, it’s cold all at once.
Blow coming. There.
It’s hot. Thank you very much, gentlemen. So, so, we squeeze into our. We don’t have a range
within the range. There is no fork in Rome, there
is no fork. So in fact, you will see, look at spoon to eat,
prick to prick like a fork. Look at the little piece
there or the timer. Here we go.
So what’s on the menu? It’s a stew, a
meat stew with apricots. And to snails.
And to snails. Why snails? In fact, it is a kind of equivalent
of the very luxurious seashell. And so there, that’s what we
can have at our fingertips. And so it’s a slightly elaborate dish, but not too elaborate, that the
working classes could enjoy. There you have a bonito.
Is that a tuna? No, it’s you,
you’re the one who prepared everything. Yes, I
made everything, it’s really good. And what is this about them? Stéphane So there,
you’re going to have some Lantus. No ?
So it is. The historical spice.
Human. Stuffed with sea urchins, stuffed with humans. It’s human,
it’s someone else’s pig’s teats. So you have to taste, you have to taste, you have to
taste all the trout. It’s the pacifier. Which bothers me, but for me it’s
delicious, it’s very good. It’s a bit heavy.
Yes, don’t be wrong. You see, you had dinner there, don’t overdo it. But for the Romans, the noble parts of meat
were the parts that we now call offal,
but extremely valuable offal. Nipples, vulvas, kidneys,
testicles were cooked because they were the
most tender parts of the meat. I will still perhaps tell you
about this major piece for the Romans. The principle of cooking must flatter the palate, but also the sight and we will
play on illusion, surprise and in particular for
pieces of meat or fish. Do you have surprise effects? We hide things inside. Could you possibly
guess what this fish is stuffed with? So wait, I’m going to say Wow! Oh ! Oh my! This fish is stuffed with small quail. To a small quail, is that it? And so we play.
We eat. Actually, do you think you’re
ordering fish? And it’s actually meat?
Well, there on the other hand. I love everything and now I’m lost. But the stuffing is good. It’s there by the stuffing
And the prunes, right? What’s up? Is
there any fruit? There are dates, fruits.
There are dates. The Romans used fruit as a sweetener extensively since
sugar did not exist. So either honey
or sweetening fruits. In any case, thank you Stéphane, it was both a festival
of flavors and erudition. But basically, you know, this Roman cuisine was
a revolution in the plates. But not only that. It was also a revolution
in kitchens, a revolution that we owe
to one thing: the amphora. It is the fatal weapon of the Romans. Thanks to it, they can transport
anything and everything. Cereals, fruits, olive oil,
fish and dried meat. And no, contrary to popular belief,
the amphora does not only transport wine. But its primary quality
is that it withstands everything. The shape of its containers and its
solidity, in fact, simply allow it to be stacked
in the holds of ships and to withstand the rough weather that can
occur at sea. Once they are all stacked inside, they
perfectly fill the hull of the boat. It was really the first long-distance transport tool
developed at that time. And they go for miles. Amphorae from England
to Greece, from Morocco to Gaul. The Romans sold their stock thanks
to them, amphorae that are found by the thousands at the bottom
of the sea today. And to recognize them, you don’t need to be a connoisseur;
the Romans invented packaging. The child is really standardized in
the sense that they are mass-produced. We always have the same objects that will
be produced for a type of production. We know that oil children,
for example, are very, very, very round. They are like big canisters. Children are often more stretched out. Amphorae for dates or luxury products are often smaller,
with somewhat unusual shapes. And all these new foods
have to be cooked properly. For this, the Gallo-Romans
equipped themselves with new utensils. The Gallic cauldron was quickly replaced
by pans and pots. The Romans have.
Brought this new container. This is it.
Patina, so it’s one. A kind of stove. We see the circular shape,
the curved walls. So the innovation, if you can call it that, is that on certain ice rinks,
we have a clay coating which ensures in a certain way
the non-stick function. An innovation that, 2000 years later, still brings us
joy in the kitchen. Laurent now takes Stéphane
to a must-see place in Arles. The arenas which, along with those of Nîmes, are
the best preserved in France. An emblematic monument of the Roman Empire, the amphitheater is the symbol
of the leisure civilization desired by the central power
to buy social peace. And this is where the valiant gladiators, the
true stars of Antiquity, fought. For Stéphane. If I say gladiator, do
you know what I mean? Yes, the arenas had Caesars. Morituri greets you, tent. Hail, Caesar,
those who are about to die salute you. Except that in truth,
they wouldn’t die that many. Yes, we will see it later. For now, we’ll
focus on these arenas. Look at this, it’s beautiful. They are magnificent. They’re 2000 years old, can you believe it? And that proves how essential spectacle was for the
Romans. You should know that from the beginning
of Augustus’ reign, there was a theater. But better than the theater, the pinnacle, the ultimate,
is the amphitheater, the arena. So this arena was built
at the end of the 1st century AD. We don’t know who built it, we have lost his identity,
but it was obviously someone very rich and who,
through this construction, demonstrated his power, his opulence, and he made the city shine. It’s not bad. It’s impressive.
Laurent. Oh but it’s huge! It was huge at the time in Gaul, it was one of the largest. Roughly speaking, it measures 136 m long and 107 m wide and accommodates
23,000 spectators. So an arena is
oval, not round. And that matters. If it had been round, everyone
would have been treated the same. Whereas if it’s oval, well you
see better on the sides, you understand? Besides, that’s where we’re going to settle. Well, here we go, grandstand. I’m following you because you know
everyone came here to the show. Everyone was passionate
about gladiatorial combat, the whole society from the aristocrat to
the slave, and everyone could come. It was free, but you did
n’t sit anywhere. The lower you were, the richer you were. So the lower seats were reserved for the governor of the city, the aristocrats,
the magistrates, the clergy. And the further you went up in the mountains, the further you were from wealth. You see? And at the very top,
it was reserved for slaves. We didn’t mix. Here, we’ll sit here. But here we are,
we are in the grandstand. It’s like we
financed the show, you know. So you can see better, but more importantly,
you can be seen better, you know? So, this is where
the gladiators came to fight. He was adored. Everyone was fascinated by his shows and there were gladiators
who paid fortunes. They were real stars. The gladiators are.
Admired by. The whole thing.
From society. Roman men, women, slaves from the
smallest, from Romans to emperors. They are superstars. And like our stars today, the gladiators of antiquity
adopted stage names. They have nicknames,
nicknames that evoke terror. For example, we have lightning, we have Ursus, strong as a bear, and we
have Ferox, the intrepid. The fights are above all
spectacles, duels staged with the sole aim of thrilling
the spectators in the stands. We will try. To have outfits with very
bright colors, with shimmering colors. We’re going to have shiny armor. We are going to see some
very spectacular productions. The goal is for the show to last as long as possible and for it to
be a total spectacle. A show that gives rise to
all kinds of fantasies. It is rumored that the sweat of gladiators
can be used to make love potions. The blood of the gladiators is collected. It is sold because it is said to have the virtue
of curing epilepsy, making people more fertile and giving them
the strength that the deceased gladiator had. Gladiators are no
longer mere mortals. They become demigods
who make the entire Roman Empire dream. A status that attracts thousands of men who volunteer to fight in the arena
with dreams of fortune in their heads. Who makes his whole career. We arrive at 150,000 sesterces,
150,000 sesterces and 75 slaves. It’s twelve kilos of gold,
a fortune for the time. So that’s also what attracts, because behind it there’s money
and above all there’s also glory. Gladiators.
It’s a business. Throughout the Empire there are gladiators worth millions of sesterces, and
they are in great demand. It’s a bit like
transfers in football, you know. Because Gladiators is not a slaughter,
it’s not a systematic killing like we’ve seen in
Hollywood movies, you know? No, no, no, it’s a sport, a sport with very codified, very serious, very precise rules. Look, they’re coming in. Text. See you soon. Greetings. You see, it’s us who.
Hi ! We are in the grandstand. Your. Serious ? AD custodia. For. Oh !
Tommy, shut up. You with.
The thumb, you know like in the movies. For the. It is necessary that in. There it is, he got a sieve. Well done !
THANKS. Hello Brice, Hello. I would like to introduce you to
my friend Stéphane Bern. Hello Stéphane. Stéphane, I present to you Brice Lopez
who is a former jujitsu champion. Well done !
Bravo, Bravo! That’s how he did it, right?
No, no. No, it’s not.
That ! Oh no, he did.
Not that, no. No, that’s a
19th century invention. Surprised.
Didn’t do that no. More. So.
In fact, Jean-Léon Gérôme made
a painting where we see the chick upside down. In ancient times, we didn’t do that. You should know that
these gladiatorial fights were not butcheries. But on the contrary, we saw that
there were You with referees. It’s a very regulated sport, there are very precise rules, you don’t do just anything and you do
n’t die systematically. It should not be seen as a competition. So in reality, ancient gladiators,
just like us, trained and lived together and were bought and
rented in pairs. And so when they arrive on the track, they know their opponent,
they know the best pass, they know their weaknesses
and the objective is to touch each other but while respecting each other because we
don’t have the right to kill the other. And then you would shout war cries. Pugnacity. Is that where pugnacious comes from?
Is that it? In fact, it’s not war cries, it’s arbitration
like today. So it’s imperative
and it means go for it. AD custodia, that means, but be careful, the referees are
really part of the show. I feel like I see several
types of gladiatorial fighters. It’s not balanced. So it’s not the same equipment. But there is a balance,
let’s say technical. They are both equally lucky. First we have the Retiere with the net, the trident, the dagger. It’s me in front, my opponent, the scooter, the one who’s chasing. He has a small shin guard, a large shield to protect him, a helmet that fits the net. Do you see his helmet?
It is rounded. Few grips to slide on. Then there we have two provocateurs. So the provocateurs, they fight against each other. When they stand guard, they have one leg forward, the other. We don’t need to be protected. The shield, helmet and shin guard make a wall and the other
arm protects the rest of the side. And so they don’t need privacy. They don’t need to have. Custodia. Custodia.
To think about. So.
You can be. Referee yes.
You are a fighter. I’m more ready
to be a fighter. If you are there.
No, no, I was just kidding. With a little practice,
you can do it. Ah, you think I
could have a career? Is there room?
I mean. We recruit regularly, we often lose some, but it’s
a job where you go there, you lose some. But here we wish you good luck. So which one do I start with?
Which one do I start with? Me ?
Oh no, but don’t you have something? Because I want a shield.
No, no shield. So, for me, my pruning shears
are good, they’re cutters. So. So left leg forward,
right leg. Backwards, it’s like that.
Just kidding, I mean, we were chatting because I know him,
we’re from the same province. Oh yeah, that’s it! So put your left leg forward,
right leg back, okay? The arm well stretched out behind this one.
Waited there behind. So. And courage. Courage.
Oh don’t worry. Careful, I’ll let you
cast the money net. Oh my! Well done ! Well, already.
I got the net. He caught a gladiator.
I’m ready. I’m ready.
Player. THANKS.
Privacy. Ah, you’re so strong!
I got it. The throw of.
Net ! No, but that’s good! Thank you very much, gentlemen.
Thank you so much. Intermittent intimacy,
intermittent refers. But did you see? I would have beaten them and I could also have
fought, for example, wild animals, lions, tigers, elephants, bears. There were fighters for that. They had the same status as gladiators,
but a little less prestigious. Which is curious because they
could die just as much. And above all, there was
no possible arrangement. You see what I mean?
No. They are not pairs.
In all this. All this is to tell you that the shows, all this entertainment that is offered to the people, has one objective after all, it is to buy social peace. You know, it’s the famous
expression about bread and circuses. Panem et.
Circenses, bread and games. This famous expression is due to Juvenal, a poet from the end
of the 1st century, who was very satirical. But Juvenal said to the Roman people: It is enough to feed yourselves
and entertain yourselves. And then we have peace
and quiet. And the emperors quickly understood this. They distribute wheat rations
to thousands of citizens of Rome. The same method is therefore applied
in the Gallic provinces. The emperors ensured
that the citizens had a basic food supply, with wheat being used
to make porridge and bread. What provides the basis of food. It is an economic precaution. It is also a political precaution, because a people who are fed
will be a more peaceful people. But above all, the people must be entertained. Emperors offer
gladiatorial fights by the dozen. They bring in the Empire’s most terrifying animals
for epic hunts. Better still, they flood the amphitheaters
to reenact life-size naval battles
and to fill them to capacity. The recipe is simple: we
multiply the public holidays. Until reaching
an average of 180 days per year at the beginning of the 4th century. Which means that almost every
other day, a Roman can go to see shows from morning until
evening and thus entertain his thoughts. Better still, spectators
could leave rich as Croesus. There were token showers and depending on the token you picked up, you could
get ten slaves or three slaves. The virtuoso of all-round gifts is Emperor Caligula. It is said that for several days, during the great games at the Colosseum, it rained gold
and silver coins on the spectators. All you had to do was bend down
to pick up the money. A hard-hitting way to buy social peace
in the ancient world. It’s amazing how well everything is
preserved overall. You still have beautiful traces. A little shade.
I was going to talk about it. I was going to tell you about it. It’s nice when
it’s shady too, huh? That’s nice with the carriage entrance. It’s pretty as soon as it winds, as soon as it’s a little tortuous, it really makes me think
of the sunken paths of my childhood. You know, all those little
truant paths where you used to go and hide. And always that fragrant jasmine. Look, we’re coming to Place de la République. There, you are the last vestige of another, instead of the Roman spectacle, the ancient circus, the hippodrome. You know, that’s where
the famous chariot races used to take place. Well, this vestige is this obelisk. He’s handsome, impressive,
he’s tough and everything. And yet, this obelisk disappeared for a very long time. For almost 1000 years. It was found in the 14th century and
brought here under Louis XIV. The circus wasn’t there,
it was further away. Follow me, I have a little
surprise for you. Come see. Located on the banks of the Rhône, the Arles circus was, in Roman times, the largest building in the city,
destroyed during the Middle Ages. Today,
only a few stones remain. Of all the Roman entertainment monuments , the circus was the most
expensive and prestigious. A behemoth that was the pride of Arles and that Laurent
is preparing to revive. Really.
Laurent, thank you for bringing me here because I think
this garden is magnificent. It’s pretty.
It’s cute. But you know what? This might sound a little strange, but I think it
‘s shaped like a racetrack. Well done !
This is exactly the project for this garden, which is called the Hortus Garden
and which extends over 5,000 square meters. We are roughly at the location of the
ancient circus and this is an evocation of it. But a plant evocation,
yes, it’s original. Very nice, very nicely done. And you see the blue building in the background there?
Yes. So, this is the departmental museum. We’re going to go there because no, no, we’re not going to see them, we’re going to see them. Another thing, I have a surprise for you, but for it to work, we need to take a step back. We’re going to go up to the roof, on the.
Roof of the museum. Well yes, you’re going to be blown away. Stéphane Yes, in front of you, here, 2000 years ago, stretched a gigantic hippodrome, a monumental building
in which our famous chariot races took place, attracting
spectators from all over the region. And when we say that the Romans saw things in a big way, you will see
that it was not just an expression. Look, I’m waiting to see. Oh yes ! It’s gigantic, it’s incredible. It’s huge. He is a colossus. So it was built
in 149 AD. And for me, it is truly the monument that best symbolizes the
exceptional status of the city of Arles. Do you know why?
Because that costs a lot of money. It is so expensive to build
that there are very few of them in Gaul. There are less than ten of them and it’s huge. It is ten times larger than the arenas, 450 meters long, 101 meters
wide for 20,000 spectators. It must be said that since the film Ben-Hur, we can clearly see that the public
loves horse racing. And then the chariot races, it was a fierce fight
between all the participants. But what a spectacle! Look a little, you see, at the back,
you see, there are boxes. At the time, they were called the Carters. This is where the horses start from. Above there is a platform. This is the grandstand
reserved for the wealthy citizens of the city who put on a show for the
people, you see? And
this wealthy city dweller has another privilege: he can start the race
by dropping a white cloth. So opposite, the opposite turn. This is where you have
the most popular seats. We rush to it.
For what ? Because it’s like in
motorsports today. This is where you have the most spectacular, riskiest, most dangerous exchanges. This is where there are the most accidents. So people love it. And in the middle there is a
dividing wall called the spina. Well, that’s where our famous obelisk was that we
saw earlier. He was there. But it’s very small from here.
Wait, we’re getting closer. Come on, let’s go take a
closer look at this giant. Follow me. There we are in front of the arcades
that surrounded the circus. It’s beautiful.
And there you have the main entrance. Yes, there. Door, this is where the public
could access the stands. Is this what you need to know? The chariot races lasted all day. So to survive, the public came to the arcades
to get food and drinks. There were shops.
It’s a bit like the stadium today. Finally, it is.
Same, same. It’s like football,
it’s super popular. Besides, chariot races, well, that was the only spectacle at the time where men
and women weren’t separated. Oh yes, yes!
So you. Go there with your family. With family, as a couple, but also to meet people. Oh yes, that’s what the poet Ovid said , that it was a very romantic place
to flirt and woo the ladies. So Char’s shows were also a spiritual moment
and a very sacred moment. Because seeing horses trampling
the earth like that, the Romans were convinced
that it regenerated the earth’s forces. But especially Stéphane. Chariot racing was a
passion-fueled affair. Because, as with horse racing today, you could bet, you could wager money. There were fortunes made
and lost in a day. It was madness,
fervor, enthusiasm. People were cheering for their team. There were supporters and to recognize the team, there
were colors. There were the whites, there were the blues, there were
the reds, there were the greens. 2000 years ago, Stéphane Here, we were already shouting Go Greens. Go Greens! But back then, teams were
n’t called clubs, they were factions. And each faction has its color, each color has its raging supporters. There is. Those who are for the greens
and therefore who will hate the Blues, those who are for the reds
against the whites, etc. We even know the names of the horses,
we know the name of the driver, we will applaud, we will cheer,
we will encourage. The elites most often support
the Blues while the working classes vibrate for the Greens, everyone has their
eyes fixed on the origins. The famous tank drivers
who drive at over 50 kilometers per hour. We can assume that the supporters. For example, they left with a red, green, blue or white tunic
from their favorite faction. Exactly like today in the
PSG store or another club. Well, we’re going to buy a jersey with the number ten of PSG or
Olympique Lyonnais or OM. These supporters of Antiquity
are sometimes fanatic. They gather in the circus, but especially outside. We are either green or we are simply blue. Throughout his life as a citizen. Some people sport completely strange and original haircuts, just like young people today who want to reproduce the
haircut of their favorite football player. There are some supporters who are
moderates, so to speak, and some supporters who are ultras, the equivalent of our current hooligans. You know, Stéphane, there were certain origins which, like the
gladiators, were real stars. It must be said that the job
was very dangerous. And to talk to us about it, I asked
Ange Ruiz to join us. Look, he’s about to make his entrance. Magnificent chariot with two beautiful horses. Well done Ange!
Oh my! Stunning !
Yes. It looks good.
Really. So I believe, Ange,
that you have competed in carriage driving. Absolutely, and that now you participate in historical reenactments in the region. Tell us a little about the equipment. It’s perfectly true to the era. Quite. So the chariot is made of wood leather. We needed light, very light materials. It has to be as light as possible. Well, that was actually a formula
from Antiquity. A light tank, fine, but it doesn’t protect you in the event of an accident. No way.
So what protects us is our helmets,
our very thick leather helmets, our leather harness, the only protection we have. That’s how many tanks were competing together
in the same race twelve. Tanks, twelve.
Chariot, twelve chariots. That was 48 horses on the track. There were a lot of accidents. Must have been horrible. And why do you have a knife? A curved blade like that? Exactly, a seat belt cutter.
Let me explain. The blade is curved inside
and is sharp inside. The jailers guide them so as not to
lose them around their bodies. If there was an accident, he was dragged.
It’s death. Assured. Tens, even
hundreds of meters. So, to free ourselves, we pulled the blade, cut the reins and the horses left and with a bit of luck,
the storm would pass. Hopefully. The risks and the risks that were running. That’s why they were
superstars, guys. I even heard that the highest paid athlete of all time
was a rich man. Absolutely, it was Diocles. That’s a Portuguese. And he did 4000 races, he won almost 1500 races, he raced for 24 years between his
salary, his bonuses, his changes of stable,
he would have earned 36 million sesterces. Which is almost 11
billion non-euros. 11 billion. We bought a rich man
like we buy a footballer. Yeah, but hey,
high-risk job, what then? I read somewhere that two emperors, Caligula and Nero,
even went to the rich. They had participated in these
horse racing competitions. But it’s true, But in any case, it was both to show
their strength and to show their audacity. It fascinated the crowds, I imagine. Nero even participated
in the Olympic Games. He won.
He was alone. Besides.
He had bought the proof and I. I think the Greeks
canceled this competition. In any case, this improbable record. The guy won, but he
was the only participant. Fortunately, the Greeks
have some morale. In any case,
thank you for this demonstration and for all these explanations,
it was very instructive. Look at this!
Look, you see? Look, it is.
Look, look. And you know, to come back to the emperors, it’s true that most of them had a grain of salt anyway. So we’re not going to talk about Augustus, because he, for once, managed his empire in a very serious, very rigorous
and above all very ambitious manner. But then behind him, there was still a string of emperors who were
really crazy. Caligula, Nero Commodus. Here is the podium of the
craziest Roman emperors. Caligula was the
cruelest of Roman emperors. Woe to those who
stand in his way. They are executed publicly. The Emperor delights in human suffering and anything goes
to satisfy his morbid passion. During the games, Caligula decided to remove the velum, in other words the canvas that protects
the spectators from the sun. He forbids spectators from leaving. And there will obviously be
a lot of discomfort. There are even people who will
pretend to feel unwell in order to finally be allowed to leave
the lecture halls. Because you should never forget
that games last all day. Nero, for his part, receives the prize for the
most megalomaniac of emperors. After having his mother brutally murdered , he is finally free
to indulge in his passion. It’s the artist’s life, it’s bohemian. So he’s going to start
performing on stage. It shows how completely
out of touch he was with his people because he was n’t asked to be the great
artist of the Roman Empire. He was simply asked to exercise
power, which he never did. So convinced that he was a great artist, he went on tour
throughout the country and even to Greece. From the point of view of those who remained
in Rome, it is a state of mild madness. This is not possible. The Emperor is not a histrion who wanders around the Empire
making tours. The last mad emperor in this macabre top three, played
in the cinema by Joaquin Phoenix. Violent, unpredictable,
he dreams of being a gladiator. Commodus will want to live out his
passion for gladiatorialism. Not by just organizing games,
that’s too easy. But by being a gladiator himself.
The problem. It’s going to go completely off the rails. He’s going to have real
gladiatorial fights in his palace. That is to say, he
has real weapons, he puts poor young gladiators in front of him
who have wooden weapons. Usually he wins, he will believe his own delusion, to the point of fighting in the arena, to the point of fighting in the Colosseum
in front of 50,000 Romans. And there, it really gets messy. These three emperors are so mad that they manage to
turn the entire people against them. Within a few years, all of them died
in atrocious circumstances. Caligula and Commodus are assassinated. Nero is driven to suicide.
Emperor. A function that can
seriously harm your health. That’s not going to happen to us, is it? Tell me why Laurent? The Arles amphitheater
remained, but not the circus. We know that the circus was still operating after the fall of the Roman Empire, until the 6th century. And there, apparently, there was a
plague epidemic that ravaged the region and the inhabitants took refuge
inside the city and they used the stones from the ancient circus
to build new buildings. And what’s more, with the flooding
of the Rhône, which was right next door. This completed the undermining of the ancient circus, which was eventually
forgotten for almost 1,000 years. Tremendous !
Thank you very much Laurent. What I propose to you now is to continue our Gallo-
Roman adventure in my hometown, Lugdunum Lugdunum, the capital of Gaul, the city of Lyon and especially that the city of Lyon, ultimately, shared in some
way the fate of the Roman Empire. It starts with glory
and ends quite badly. Okay, shall we go?
Oh well, I’m following you, huh? Let’s go! So it’s due north And look
how magical, magical it was. You were amazed.
I was blown away by this circus. I saw that you
looked like you were bluffing. It was Emperor Augustus who made
Lyon the capital of Gaul. At that time,
the city was limited to the hill of Fourvière, today dominated
by the famous basilica of the same name. Ideally located on the Rhône,
close to Rome, Lugdunum is a prosperous city that attracts
inhabitants from all over the Empire. A mix that is its strength but also its
weakness, because it announces the divisions that will lead to the fall
of the Roman Empire. You know Laurent, I’m pleased
to show you old Lyon. This place is very dear to me
because I was born here. Of course,
I’m sure I’ll learn a lot of things. You have lots of secrets. We’re going to follow in the footsteps of your childhood. Yes, well no, because I’m
talking to you about an era. 2000 years ago, there was a small Gallic village here, a few hundred souls, that’s all. And then a lieutenant of Julius Caesar, a boy named
Lucius MU natus Plancus. He said to himself: I will try to find a place where my
retired soldiers can be treated well. A holiday resort of sorts. And he founded Lugdunum. But the city became a real Roman city thanks to our Emperor
Augustus, whom you know well. So, what I propose to you now is that I will take you to the
ancient sites of Lugdunum. We’ll borrow the string. Do you know what string is? A string, I know what it is.
But what about Lyon? No, it’s the funicular. Okay, so we’re going up.
To the. String, to the string. So we’re going to take the funicular,
the funicular. Funicular, funicular. It must be said, it’s true,
it’s a kind of trick word. You don’t say that with your
in-laws, you know? You may want to.
Shall we take a ride on the funicular? Practice. Yes.
Come on, it is. The string’s gone! So that’s it? Oh yeah, that’s cool,
I love funiculars. And you know that it dates from 1862. And you will
see, there is a particularity, which is that we will pass under the forecourt
of the Fourvière basilica. Look, look, look at the old lion. It’s beautiful. I’m like a child, I’m finding my childhood again, you see. There is a side.
Amusement park too. It’s aerial and in the city,
at your feet like that. On the other hand, we don’t see big. Now that you are
under the forecourt of the basilica. There.
Belgium is above us. Yes. And here we are. End of line! Everyone gets off. Come on, come on. Follow me there! Look at Laurent. This is the Fourvière Basilica. She’s beautiful, you see. She gives us a little air
of Montmartre with the accordion. In place of this
Fourvière basilica. It used to be the forum,
the Roman forum. On the height like that. Yes, the heart of Lugdunum was here. I now suggest that we move
towards ancient Roman theatre because theatre
was very important in Antiquity. It is more than just an
almost mystical showplace. And what was your childhood like in Lyon
? I wasn’t in that neighborhood. I came regularly to Fourvière or Croix-Rousse because my
father was born in Croix-Rousse. So. Did you come on tour often? Yes, I spent a lot of time on the streets, I had a lot of friends
in Lyon, but you have… More frequented by traffic jams, bars and places of debauchery
than Fourvière Hill. I have been to theaters more often. Look at Laurent.
Oh my! This is the ancient
Roman theater of Fourvière. Ah, that’s superb! It’s impressive. I’ve been here before,
but you never get tired of it. You, who are an actor, obviously know the importance of theatre
in Gallo-Roman society. Firstly, because, originally,
it was rather religious. That is to say, these stage games took place for festivals
that were dedicated to the gods. And then there was a
more social, even political, reason. That is to say,
politicians came into the stands. And then they could measure the pulse
of public opinion because there were crowd movements, people applauded or whistled, and it was really important
to know the vox populi. At that time, there was a lot
of theater in Roman Gaul. There are about sixty of them and this one
dates back to 15 BC. It doesn’t make us any younger. So you see, there for example, in front of you, there was an enormous stage wall on which we could have
multiple and very inventive sets. Here we are in the great
hall, the great hall. It was a rather popular show, with tragedies and comedies. And then behind, over there, you have a smaller, more confidential room, it’s the Odéon. There were poetry performances, there were music performances, but above all, what
the Romans loved were pantomimes. A bit like the mime Marceau. It’s a show where the actor is alone and he mimes things, he dances, he plays all the roles. Yes, I can do that. That
‘s for me. Can I play everything?
No, Laurent. It was a silent role. You are incapable of being mute.
On a stage. It’s more delicate.
I can try, but I can’t guarantee anything. Better not.
You would be disappointed. So in fact, when you really had a public triumph, well,
you were given a palm. You had flippers.
Like at the Cannes Film Festival. The Palme d’Or.
Exactly. Here, in the first and second centuries, it was
truly the height of Roman Gaul. And then at that moment
a blessing arrives for Lugdunum. He is a Roman emperor,
born in Lugdunum. Claudius Claudius was
called the Gallic emperor. Claudius was the first
Roman emperor born outside Italy. His father, one of Augustus’s sons-in-law, was stationed
at Lugdunum when he died. Claudius was only one year old and his mother took him back to Rome where he became the
scapegoat of the imperial family. He limps.
He stutters. He has muscle spasms that cause his head to roll to the side and he
drools a little bit from time to time. Everyone thinks he’s a jerk. Nobody respects him. When he falls asleep in the Senate, they put slippers in his hands so that he can rub his
face with them. When he wakes up, fruit seeds are thrown at him
during dinners at the palace. So he hides. Claude spends his time in
libraries and is forgotten. Nothing predestined him to become emperor. But at over 50, his life changed. His nephew, Emperor Caligula, is assassinated before his eyes by his Praetorian Guard, his own soldiers
hidden behind a curtain. Claude watches the scene, terrified. But a soldier notices his presence. Claudius sees his last hour approaching, but the Praetorian throws himself at his feet
and greets him as the emperor. And so the Praetorians will take Claudius
into their camp and acclaim him Emperor. After years in the shadows, Claudius takes his revenge and, against all odds, proves to be
an effective emperor and a shrewd strategist. But above all, Claude does
not forget his birthplace. During Clodion’s time, the city of Lyon benefited from numerous construction projects, large-scale private construction programs , but also construction programs related to water with aqueducts, fountains and everything that would contribute to improving both the image
of the city and the pleasure of living. The city has been almost completely rebuilt , including buildings, streets and public buildings. Supreme proof of his
attachment to Gaul. The Emperor demanded the entry of Gallic notables into the Senate of Rome during
a speech that has remained famous. What is important about this measure
is that it shows hope for the provincial elites, the hope
of being closer to Roman power. And that’s important. For the Roman senators who
still consider the Gauls as savages. The pill is hard to swallow, but Claude doesn’t give up and wins his case. This speech by Claude has gone down in history. Moreover, it was engraved on a bronze plaque in the
Gallo-Roman Museum in Lyon. A fragment and the inhabitants? The people of Lyon are very
proud of this episode. They are also very proud of their
city and I absolutely wanted us to meet one of the great admirers
of the city of Lyon, Laurent Gerra. Hello Laurent, hello. At the same time, I’m not surprised. We are in a room, in a performance hall. Yes yes.
Necessarily. There are some acrobats here. It’s always moving to be there. It’s true.
For what ? Because I started here. It’s true that I started in Lyon. The shows in the small café-
theaters that were just below. And there, to find myself there, that was my dream. All to pass on. There are
still up to 20,000 seats on this stage. So you played here? Yes, I have played several times. Actually, you weren’t born in Lyon. You studied
cinema here in Lyon. Very early on, you established a bond like that, of affection
with the city of Lyon. I was born in Bourg en Bresse, so right next door. But Lyon is my favorite city. I’ve always loved it and you just have to look up and you see, you always see
something different. Laurent: Do you think the people of Lyon still have an attachment to the man who was born in Lugdunum, that is to say the Emperor Claudius? The people of Lyon are very proud of the city, but I think they will cite Guignol more than Claude
among the characters who symbolize Lyon. But I think so. They are proud that Lugdunum was
the capital of Gaul after all. Lugdunum, capital of Gaul. It is a title that is
always given to the city of Lyon. People may have difficulty understanding
what that meant at the time. It is true that we always say
that it is the capital of Gaul. There aren’t many cities in France. The Gallo-Roman side is also linked
in a precise way. There were other emperors born in Lyon. There is the famous Caracalla, the Great Caracalla and. Caligula came.
Also. Caligula came.
They all came, Tiberius and Tiberius. What’s interesting, I don’t know if we’re aware of it when
we study in Lyon, is that we’re surrounded by
historical sites and incredible heritage. Incredible wealth.
We are always surprised to see. It’s true that there is that and I love
showing Lyon to friends because I looked here at Lyon in
Old Lyon here, because it’s true that you can see as far as the
Alps here, it’s quite incredible. We see the Alps, we see Mont Blanc. So yes, I bring them here and then I
bring them in small bottles anyway. Yes, it’s the traffic jams. It is true that we say the capital of Gaul, but it is also
the capital of gastronomy. It’s a peninsula, there are two
rivers, they say there are three. Besides, there is the Rhône, the Saône. Beaujolais and Beaujolais. Yes. But it’s true that it’s
a city of pleasure. It’s a city that already smells of the south. Yes, yes, it’s me. I tend to say that it is
almost the first city in the south. We’re already on vacation, we’re taking the highway to the sun. That’s right, it’s the
zero point of the N7 around the sun. This is where you go
north to Germany. It leaves from Lyon to go
towards the ocean in England. Well, it’s starting, it’s starting from Lyon. It is the Ocean Way which goes to Boulogne-sur-
Mer, the middle way which goes to Bordeaux. It starts from Lyon and the southern route which goes towards the Mediterranean and the
Roman world, starts from Lyon. It’s essential, it’s fundamental. This is really the
starting point of our story. We wonder why it’s not the capital, it should be the capital, it has been. Thank you Laurent. We will continue our visit. There is so much to see. We no longer know where to look. Apart from gastronomy, there is
your show, especially your shows. You continue, we leave. Tour, we’re going to do the Olympia. So we are happy to be back. All over France and in Paris. But it’s true that your base camp is this region, it is. Stay in Lyon.
It’s staying in Lyon and on. Understand why, we understand why. Thank you Laurent, thank you. THANKS. You know, Laurent,
when Lugdunum was the capital of Gaul, well, every year,
the Roman authorities organized a meeting of all the
Gallic leaders to unite them. It took place in a sanctuary called the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls,
which is located on a hill just opposite the hill where we are
at Fourvière. This is Croix-Rousse. Yes, of course, and it was extremely important
at the time, because it was an opportunity for the Gallic leaders to renew
their allegiance with Rome. And it is for this reason that Lugdunum took on this importance
as the capital of Gaul. The sanctuary of the Three Gauls is
the site of Gallo-Roman politics. Once a year, in August,
the 60 representatives of the Gallic tribes meet here
at the invitation of the Emperor. This will allow Gaul, for the first time, to speak of a
united faith in the face of Rome and the Empire. This great Gallic G7 meets
around an immense altar. The goal is to address
the problems of the cities. It is a temple of debate,
it is a temple of discussion. So we’re going to discuss the tax to see
how it’s collected and how we could possibly
improve it or if it’s too heavy. The delegates of the Gallic cities could
express their wishes, even their complaints,
their recriminations towards the governors, towards the
Roman authority of the army, and therefore they could address themselves directly to the emperor
who satisfied or not their requests. And it was precisely at this place that the Gauls demanded from Emperor
Claudius the right to sit in the Roman Senate. For a Gaul, being a delegate here means being part of the cream
of the political hierarchy. It is a very
important, honorary position. This obviously allowed them to enhance
the prestige of their home city. And it was these aristocrats
who officiated at the sanctuary who guaranteed
the loyalty of the Gallic cities to Rome. But at this large gathering,
we are not only talking politics. These terraces also host
much more fun celebrations: shows, games, processions
or even poetry competitions. An unmissable event. For more than two centuries. So, are you ready to climb up
to the Red Cross to say that we have gone from the hill where we pray
to the hill where we work? And you’ll see,
Croix Rousse is very lively. Look, you still have remains
of very old buildings here. It’s pretty. What are all those
little inscriptions on the walls called? Yes, that’s graffiti. Add some color. I warned you, it’s not a steep climb
to get up Croix-Rousse. It’s going up, huh?
But yes, it is a hill. This is the principle of the hill. That’s the thing, it’s
rarely full. During the first two centuries of our era, Lyon therefore benefited
from a special status. It was truly a state of grace. And then in the 3rd century,
things began to decline and things went from bad to worse for the capital of Gaul,
the birthplace of Emperor Claudius, who also lost his
title of capital of Gaul. But I would like,
since we have just climbed this Croix-Rousse hill, to
show you a vestige of this history, a vestige that is
quite little known, in fact. And you see that there is a certain activity
that reigns in this neighborhood today. It was another form
of activity that prevailed at the time. Okay, follow me. Here it is Laurent, this is the archaeological site
that I absolutely wanted to show you. Do you know why? Because it is a place that is not very well
known to the public and yet it is still one of the oldest
amphitheaters in Gaul. This place was invisible to the public eye because it was completely,
if you like, covered in vegetation. It’s only been about twenty years since
it was brought to light. But there’s a reason I brought you here
. This place was the scene of a
tragic episode in our history. Yes, you have a post in front of you. It was here that
Christians were first thrown to the lions. And Blandine, of course, was one of the
very famous victims in 177 AD. While the Roman authorities tolerated
Christians and religious diversity, the
local population did not. And so Blandine and a few others were among the martyrs of Lyon
in the first and second centuries AD. The Christian religion is still not very well established in Gaul, but it is
beginning to make a name for itself. It is a small, somewhat
turbulent sect and, above all, as they are fanatical ideologues
who have only one God, the Christians refuse to honor the
Roman gods and in particular the only cult which unites the entire
Roman Empire, which is the imperial cult. But this small, marginal group
quickly gained followers thanks to a simple but effective discourse: the promise
of life after death. Christians begin to be feared
and are then accused of the worst atrocities. They will be accused of everything imaginable, even the
most atrocious taboos. It will be claimed, in particular, that the first
Christians devoured babies. Covered with flour. From then on, Christians
became ideal targets. Rome is ravaged by a terrible fire. It must be a Christian move. Then Emperor Nero, the effect
transformed into a living torch in Lyon. After decades of relative tolerance from the authorities, things
degenerated in the summer of 177. Around forty Christians were arrested. Taken to the forum and interrogated in public, those who refuse to renounce
their faith are thrown into prison. This is the case of Potin,
the first bishop of Gaul. Damn, the Romans are not going to pull their
punches, if I may put it that way. They will kill him by beating him,
kicking him, punching him. And this poor gossip will spend more
than two days dying in his cell. Among the prisoners,
Blandine makes an impression. This young slave resists torture and finds herself facing the lion
in the amphitheater of Lugdunum. There she clings to her unwavering faith. We release the wild animals and there, the
wild animals lie down in front of Blandine. Obviously, we cry miracle. Blandine was finally slaughtered
and her ashes thrown into the Rhône. But she never renounced her faith. This is why Blandine,
for Christians, becomes a symbol. Because it is the weak who triumph over the strong and it is faith
that triumphs over power. And that, for the first
Christians, was crucial. Mere mortals. Blandine achieves the status of martyr. She becomes Saint Blandine. Today she is
the patron saint of the city of Lyon. Oh my!
What a horrible, horrible story! You see, what’s most infuriating
is that Blandine and her companions were
ahead of the story. Heroes are always right.
Too soon. Because more than a century later, well, the Roman authorities decreed
freedom of worship, in a way. And even Emperor Constantine
himself converted to Christianity. Of course, there were still troubles. 20 years later, here in Lyon,
the city was looted. The city was ravaged, burned, and abandoned by the
Roman emperors in favor of other cities. First Trier in Germany and then even Arles also became
a sort of capital of Gaul. But I have another surprise for you. Do you still have some juice? Come on, let’s go! You’re a cure for youth, Stéphane. Oh, listen.
Finishing this little stroll through Lyon with a typical Lyonnais bouchon
is a great idea! No, but Laurent, listen, honestly,
Lyon is not only the capital of Gaul, it is also the
world capital of French gastronomy. This is very important. You know, these little
Lyonnais bouchons are typical. This is where you can taste
all kinds of charcuterie. The Jesus sausage,
the pike quenelle, it’s my favorite. And you see. Look at this passage between two
streets that cross the houses. These traboules are typically Lyonnais. I couldn’t finish this stroll through Gallo-Roman France
without taking a trip to a Lyon bouchon. Sublime conclusion and I loved this journey in the footsteps of Roman civilization
and found it surprisingly modern. Really ?
The Romans, they invented everything. Not only are we now
going to leave Roman civilization, but it left us here too,
since in the 300s, well, there were all these barbarian invasions,
the Vandals, the Visigoths, the… Ostrogoths, the.
Ones. Some of them, the Alans, the Suevi,
until 476, when it was the leader of the Hercules, who were allies of Attila,
who appeared before the Emperor and told him that, well,
Rome no longer controlled the empire. This is the end of the
Western Roman Empire. Exactly.
Gaul is ravaged, but luckily, another people arrives,
the Franks. Clovis becomes king of the Franks,
but that’s another story. Obviously, that’s another story. Speaking of other things,
where are we going now, eh? I don’t know. Do
you have any ideas? What would you say? In the 1900s? Oh, I love the good old days! Yes, electricity. Cinema, everything. But at that moment, it’s one. A bustling,
captivating, extraordinary period. Look!
Give me some space. Watch out, surprise!
So, we. Where will it go? If it’s okay with you, I’d like to
go there. If we start there, I
would like to take you there. Okay, okay.
But at that moment, we’re going to go there too, because there
was a crazy building there. He disappeared today. You have no idea how
extraordinary he was. If you start with these kinds of surprises, I have
a few more in store for you. Yes yes.
Well here we go.

Et si vous pouviez marcher sur les routes de Jules César, assister à un combat de gladiateurs ou franchir le pont du Gard comme nos ancêtres ? 👋 + de documentaires histoire 👉 http://bit.ly/3lqyFpY 🙏 Abonnez vous !

00:00 Introduction – Les Gaulois face à Rome
03:40 La conquête romaine et Jules César
07:00 Nîmes, Auguste et l’Augustéum
13:30 Religion, dieux et culte impérial
28:30 La Maison Carrée et la romanisation de la Gaule
44:00 La Via Domitia : routes et ingénierie romaines
53:00 Le Pont du Gard et l’aqueduc gallo-romain
57:30 Thermes, hygiène et vie quotidienne
01:03:00 Arles, cité prospère et son patrimoine
01:19:00 Gladiateurs et spectacles dans les arènes
01:32:00 Courses de chars et cirques antiques
01:45:00 Les empereurs romains : entre grandeur et folie
01:48:00 Lyon, capitale des Gaules
01:55:00 L’empereur Claude et son héritage
02:09:30 Gastronomie et culture lyonnaise
02:10:00 La chute de l’Empire et les invasions barbares

Connaissez-vous les arènes de Fourvière, celles de Nîmes ou d’Arles ? Avez-vous déjà traversé le pont du Gard ? Saviez-vous qu’au croisement des boulevards Saint-Germain et Saint-Michel (à Paris) se trouvent les thermes antiques de Cluny ? Ces vestiges, nous les devons aux Romains venus conquérir la Gaule, par attaques successives, à partir de 125 avant J.-C. De ces routes, viaducs, arcs de triomphe, arènes, théâtres, thermes qui transformèrent durablement le paysage gaulois, il subsiste des monuments, des fondations. Avec Laissez-vous guider, vous allez pouvoir les découvrir tels que nos ancêtres les ont connus et fréquentés. Et aussi en apprendre un peu plus sur la vie et les coutumes des Gaulois en plongeant dans l’une des BD d’Astérix. Êtes-vous prêts pour un voyage dans le temps ?

👉 A voir également sur Notre Histoire :
Napoléon : De l’ascension au déclin – Laissez-vous guider https://youtu.be/3Q1hpWc1EZQ

👉 Découvrez notre playlist dédiée à l’antiquité https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLqKSNbk66i9kvWqQBhxV_5YMU3LG1khgF&si=xvyntV4z4t3i3zz0

“Laissez-vous guider : l’époque Gallo-romaine”
Présentation : Stéphane Bern, Lorànt Deutsch.
Réalisation : Pierre Leixe-cote
© Morgane Production – 2021

#Histoire #Documentaire #GalloRomain #Rome #Gaule #Antiquité