Antibes

Antibes is a small resort town of southeastern France, on the Mediterranean Sea in the Côte d'Azur, located between Cannes and Nice. It is 12-½ miles by rail southwest of Nice, and is situated on the east side of the Garoupe peninsula. The population at the 1999 census was 72412. The area of Antibes is 26.48 km².

History

Greek Antipolis

In prehistory, the area around Antibes was inhabited by the Deciates (????????), a tribe of the Ligurians (Smith, entry on Deciátes; Cosson, pp.20-23). The border with the Ligurian Oxybii (???????) being to the west of Antibes and east of Frejus (Smith, entry on Oxybii). The Deciates had a town in the area, oppidum Deciatum but this was not Antibes itself (Pliny the Elder, Chorographia, 2.69):

Related Topics:
Deciates - Ligurians - Oxybii - Frejus

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:In litoribus aliquot sunt cum aliquis nominibus loca: ceterum rarae urbes quia rari portus, et omnis plaga austro atque africo exposita est. Nicaea tangit Alpes, tangit oppidum Deciatum, tangit Antipolis.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Antibes is the ancient Antipolis (Stabo, Geography 4.1.9). It was founded as a colony of Massallia (Marseilles), in the 6th century BCE, across the bay from Nikea (Nice); the name in Greek means literally "city across", Anti polis, and is mentioned in the Geography of Strabo. Although no traces of the Greek port remain, wrecks of sunken ships (such as a 6th century BCE Etruscan ship) attest to the importance of this early port.

Related Topics:
Massallia - 6th century BCE - Nikea - Strabo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Polybius (Histories, 33.7) relates that in 155 BCE the Ligurians attacked Massallia, Antipolis and Nikea and in consequence, Massallia appealed to the Romans for help because of a treaty between Massallia and Rome. The resulting defeat of the Deciates and Oxybii also led to greater Roman involvement in the region, culminating in the battle of Aquae Sextiae in 102 BCE and the creation of the Roman province of Narbonensis along the coast from the Alps to the Pyrenees.

Related Topics:
Polybius - 155 BCE - Ligurians - Deciates - Oxybii - Battle of Aquae Sextiae - 102 BCE - Narbonensis - Alps - Pyrenees

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Roman Civitas Antipolitana

In 43 BCE, Antipolis lost its staus as a free Masaliote city and was annexed by the Romans, becoming Civitas Antipolitana. This was later referred to byStrabo (Geography, 4.1.9):

Related Topics:
43 BCE - Strabo

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

:although Antipolis is situated in the Narbonnaise, and Nicæa in Italy, this latter is dependent on Marseilles, and forms part of that province; while Antipolis is ranked amongst the Italian cities, and freed from the government of the Marseillese by a judgment given against them.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mediaeval Antibo

Antibes was the seat of a bishopric from the 5th century to 1244, when the see was transferred to Grasse.

Related Topics:
5th century - 1244 - Grasse

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~