The Gallo-Roman city

The founding of Lugdunum has long been debated by historians due to the lack of details in ancient writings. The history of Lugdunum is based mainly on abundant archaeological finds and epigraphy.

The Birth of Lugdunum

According to Cicero, a revolt in Vienna in 44 BC led to the expulsion of Roman veterans of the Fifth Legion, who were stationed at the confluence of the Rhone and Saone. These soldiers, placed there by Caesar to guard a new colony hostile to the dictator, were reassigned by Munatius Plancus to prevent them from joining Antony. Thus, in 43 BC, Munatius Plancus traced the main roads to Lugdunum, giving birth to the colony.

At that time, the region was scatteredly occupied by the Gauls of the Celtic tribe of the Segusiaves. Commercial activities were important on the island of Canabaes, located at the former confluence of the Rhone and the Saone (the current district of Ainay).

Construction of the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls

Under the influence of the Celts and Eastern cultures, Roman civilization lost some of its fundamental values. Thus, Augustus tried to restore the morality of institutions by introducing, in 27 BC, the imperial cult in Lugdunum. Lugdunum became the capital of the Three Gauls, and Augustus entrusted his son-in-law Agrippa with the construction of an important road network from this city.

In 12 BC, Drusus began construction of the federal sanctuary of the Three Gauls, seat of the imperial cult and annual gathering place for delegates from the sixty Gallic tribes.

Thirty-one years later, Rufus, a priest of Rome and Augustus, financed the construction of the Croix-Rousse amphitheater, where gladiatorial combats and Caligula's eloquence contests took place. At that time, the city already had about 50,000 inhabitants.

Amphitheater of the Three Gauls
Amphitheater of the Three Gauls

Lugdunum under Claudius and Hadrian

Emperor Claudius was born in Lugdunum in 10 BC. He asked the Senate to grant Roman citizenship to the inhabitants of Lyon, which remained engraved in the Claudian table in bronze. During the reign of Hadrian, from 117 to 138, Lugdunum reached its peak, with monumental structures such as the Croix-Rousse amphitheater and the sanctuary of the Three Gauls.

Hadrian also initiated the construction of the sanctuary of Cybele, above the Fourvière theatre. This pagan cult was at the origin of the martyrdom of the first Lyonnais Christians.

Claudian tables
Claudian tables

Lugdunum and the Rise of Christianity

In the middle of the second century, a large Christian community led by Pothinus, the first bishop, settled in Lugdunum. The Christians, refusing the official imperial cult, were accused of disloyalty to the imperial authority. This led to brutal persecutions and the martyrdom of several Christians, including Saint Pothinus and Saint Blandina.

The city was later the scene of conflicts between Septimius Severus and Albinus, leading to reprisals, destruction and the beginning of its decline. Despite this, Roman influence continued in Lugdunum until the Burgundian invasion of the city in 457, when it was renamed Lugdon.

The aqueducts

  1. Gier Aqueduct
    Dating from the middle of the 1st century AD or the beginning of the 2nd century
    This remarkable work, one of the most imposing in Gaul, is hypothetically attributed to Hadrian, then to Agrippa according to Armand Desbat. Stretching over approximately 75 km, mainly in underground conduit, it had a flow capacity of up to 25,000 m³ per day. It was composed of 8 tunnels, 30 bridges, 4 siphons, 8 series of 10 arches over several hundred meters and reached a maximum height of 15 meters.
  2. Yzeron Aqueduct
    Probably built during the reign of Emperor Augustus (between 20 and 10 BC).
    Period: Antiquity.
    This aqueduct network extended over a total length of 40 km and brought together several branches to collect water, including those of Yzeron, Vaugneray, Grézieux and Mercier. Its final route remains unknown. Its flow could reach up to 13,000 m³ per day.
  3. Mont d'Or Aqueduct
    Built shortly after the founding of the city (43 BC)
    Period: Antiquity.
    This network was the smallest of the four aqueducts in the Lyon region. It extended over a distance of 26 km, connecting Poleymieux-au-Mont-d'Or to the Minimes district in Lyon. Its maximum flow was estimated at around 10,000 m³ per day and it was laid in a trench covered with slabs.
  4. Brévenne Aqueduct
    Dating from the beginning of the 1st century AD.
    Period: Antiquity.
    This aqueduct covered a distance of 70 km, from Orjolle to Aveize, to the hill of Fourvière in Lyon. It was composed of 4 tunnels and a canal bridge. Its maximum flow was estimated at 28,000 m³ per day.
 
 
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