Lyon is a city in the southeast of France. The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times and was one of the most important cities of the Roman Empire, Lugdunum. After the Battle of Lugdunum (197) the city never fully recovered, and Lyon was built out of its ashes becoming a part of the Kingdom of the Burgundians.
Traces of human occupation during the Stone Age suggest that there may have already been trade routes from the Mediterranean to Northern Europe which passed through the site. By the Iron Age, an emporium existed which traded with Vienne (the Allobroges capital), where the Romans were already present. There is little evidence that there was much settlement in the area, but there is strong archeological evidence that Fourvière was a site where groups met and feasted, as they left thousands of amphora and animal bones behind. While there may not have been extensive settlement, there was already the infrastructure of trade and contact between the Segusiavi, Aedui, and Allobroges before the area became an important part of Roman history.[1]
See main article: Lugdunum. Lugdunum was an important Roman city in Gaul that was located where Lyon stands today. It was founded in 43 BC under a policy of establishing settlements in newly conquered areas, with the aims of ensuring the stability of those areas and rewarding retired veteran soldiers with land and rights. The settlement initiatives were established by Julius Caesar, and included the cities of Vienne, Noviodunum (Switzerland), and Augusta Raurica. The indigenous people in this area were the Allobroges.
Lucius Munatius Plancus, a former officer under Julius Caesar, and later proconsul of Gaul Chevelue, is credited with founding the city. The true date of the founding is debated by historians.[2]
The colony was small and not heavily fortified, consisting of raised land and wooden palisades.[3]