Orange – a city in France, in the Vaucluse department, on the left bank of the Rhône, 21 kilometers north of Avignon. It was named by the Gauls Arausio (Latin: Arausio) in honor of one of the Celtic gods. Under Emperor Augustus, it became one of the most flourishing centers of Roman Provence.
Ancient Arausio originated as a Celtic settlement – it was here in 105 BC that the first clash of the Roman army with the Cimbri and Teutons (Germanic tribes) took place, ending in the complete defeat of the Romans, one hundred thousand of whom fell on the battlefield. It suffered greatly in AD 21 during the Gallic uprising led by Julius Sacrovir and Julius Florus, but the revenues from trade along the route from the Mediterranean to Lugdunum (Lyon) allowed the city to recover and build a triumphal arch in honor of the suppression of the uprising.
Arausio reaches extraordinary prosperity, especially in peaceful times. With a population four times larger than now, the city acquired a theater and an amphitheater, baths and a circus, a triumphal arch and numerous temples. Could a wealthy city with a theater and a gymnasium (what we call a sports complex), with baths and a circus, arches and columns, with numerous markets and palaces, standing on a busy cobbled road, be called ‘provincial’? In any case, all ancient authors unanimously denied this epithet to the city, leaving many testimonies about it. Titus Livius (one of the most famous Roman historians) and Strabo (Greek historian and geographer), Pomponius Mela (the earliest Roman geographer) and Pliny the Elder (Roman writer and scholar, author of ‘Natural History’) admired the local climate and architecture, the quality of performances and gladiatorial games, and even considered the menagerie to be only slightly inferior to the capital’s.
Throughout the 13th century, a small principality was located here, and due to the complex twists of marriages and inheritances that abound in local history, this region came into the possession of one of the branches of the House of Nassau, whose members were at the same time heirs of the German principality of Nassau. When the famous William the Silent, Prince of Orange and Nassau, becomes the ruler of the United Provinces of the Netherlands, the name of the Provençal city will be inextricably linked with the name of the Dutch Orange dynasty.
The Dutch royal family showed interest and concern for the defense capabilities of their distant possession, building a castle and city walls here. But the material for this construction was taken from what little remained after the barbarian invasions (destroyed by the Alemanni and Visigoths) – thus, almost nothing remains in Orange from the famous monuments of the Roman Empire, except for the Triumphal Arch and the Theater. When Louis XIV, King of France, waged war against the Netherlands, it was the principality of Orange that first paid the price, its castle was destroyed, and the city wall was completely leveled to the ground. The Treaty of Utrecht in 1713 recognized France’s ownership of the principality.
The most important of the remaining Roman monuments in the city is, of course, the Arch, standing on the ancient road connecting Arles with Lyon. Erected in 49 BC in honor of Julius Caesar’s victory, it was later dedicated to Tiberius in 25 BC. The main theme of the reliefs is the story of the glorious deeds of the indomitable Second Legion, whose veterans founded Orange-Arausio. Crowning the nineteen-meter arch is a depiction of triumph – a procession of legions with trophies, tympani, and cymbals on one side and a line of prisoners in chains on the other.
The famous ancient theater of Orange was built during the reign of Emperor Augustus. It is the only Roman theater in the world where the stage facade has been preserved – 36 meters high and 103 meters long. Once, this theater accommodated eleven thousand spectators; now, to create a gentle regime for the monument, no more than seven thousand are allowed in at the same time. It is also renowned for its exceptional acoustics. In 1950, a restored colossal statue of Augustus was returned to the central niche. Standing 3.55 meters tall, it is one of the most grandiose statues carved during the Roman Empire.
The surroundings of the theater have been thoroughly researched, and following them, the city quarters have gradually begun to ‘remember’ their ancient appearance. Today, the gymnasium, covering an area of 400 by 80 meters, has been almost completely uncovered. Running tracks, a platform for classical wrestling, training areas have been revealed…
In the ancient theater of Orange, performances are now staged, and the cheerful buzz of the audience once again fills the amphitheater. Who knows – perhaps here too, one day, the excited cheers of fans will resound again…
