Lyon and Ancient Rome

Towering above Old Lyon is Fourviere hill, where the Romans built the military city of Lugdunum in 43 BC. Over two millennia ago, all roads led to Lyon (in the Gaul territories, anyway). As the capital, Lyon was a major intersection of the North-South and East-West highways. Maps in the Musee de la Civilisation Gallo-Romaine indicate that a lot of the modern roads (the one we took east from Limoges, for example) seem to follow the same path as the ancient Roman roads.

I walked up the incredibly-steep footpath from Old Lyon, panting the whole way. The Romans sure did have a knack for choosing massive hills as building sites. The views from the top, at the 19th century Basilique Notre Dame de Fourviere, are stupendous. The basilica is oddly embellished, sort of gaudy, and I didn't bother going inside. Though the TV transmitter next door is quite a sight-- like a mini-Eiffel Tower.



Nearby, the ancient Roman amphitheater (first built in 15 BC) is spread out across the hillside, with stunning views of Lyon below. Back in the day, it could seat 10,000 people, and it is still used today for summer concerts (see the photo with the stage and speakers set up).

The Museum is one of the best I've ever seen on ancient Roman civilization. It is built underground, deep within the hillside, set into its natural setting. So as you descend the ramps-- checking out the extensive exhibits on Roman politics, life, culture, religion, and art-- you catch glimpses of the amphitheather out the windows.


The museum houses a lot of the intricate, colorful mosaics, that I remember from photographs on the cover of Latin textbooks. One is set into the actual floor of the museum-- so precious that I didn't want to step on it. A lot of the artifacts were found pretty recently around Lyon, within building foundations, reused in the Medieval churches and bridges. One of the best displays is a bronze slate with an inscription of a speech by Emperor Claudius (who happened to be born in Lyon). The language he used is stilted and difficult; notably, when Tacitus wrote his history, he chose to rewrite the speech, taking away a lot of that stiff and awful Latin.


Walking through the museum, lingering for hours, I was struck by the advanced level of this civilization: from the political structure to the cooking utensils. (Some of the artifacts-- strainers, cooking things-- look like they could be found today in the remote and isolated parts of the rural Limousin. No joke.)

[Last photo is from the top of a neighboring hill, looking back at the basilica and "Eiffel Tower."]