Florent Lefortier answered
The oldest city in France is Marseille. It was founded in 600BC by the Greeks, but underwater cave paintings dating back almost 30,000 years suggest that it was inhabited by humans long before then!
Origins as a City
In 600BC, Greeks from Phocaea settled in Marseille after recognizing its potential as a trading port. Marseille, known at the time as Massalia, was one of the very first Greek ports in Western Europe.
The settlement’s population grew to over a thousand people – this might not seem like much now, but at the time, this was a lot for just a trading port!
Marseille soon joined with the Roman Republic for protection. Unfortunately, they sided with Pompey in the civil war, and consequently lost their independence to Julius Caesar in 49BC.
Marseille Today Marseille is now the second largest city in France, and Paris is the largest. The population of Marseille stands at over 850,000 – quite an increase from 1000! It is the biggest commercial trading port in France, and is located on the Mediterranean coast.
Origins as a City
In 600BC, Greeks from Phocaea settled in Marseille after recognizing its potential as a trading port. Marseille, known at the time as Massalia, was one of the very first Greek ports in Western Europe.
The settlement’s population grew to over a thousand people – this might not seem like much now, but at the time, this was a lot for just a trading port!
Marseille soon joined with the Roman Republic for protection. Unfortunately, they sided with Pompey in the civil war, and consequently lost their independence to Julius Caesar in 49BC.
Marseille Today Marseille is now the second largest city in France, and Paris is the largest. The population of Marseille stands at over 850,000 – quite an increase from 1000! It is the biggest commercial trading port in France, and is located on the Mediterranean coast.
