J - 30 : Fréjus - Forum Julium - Finally visited

The Roman Theatre in Fréjus is partially restored & sits 1'000 people - 7'500 in Roman Time

Since I was a student, I planned to visit - never got around it. Last time I tried was in 2023 but a 2-day Mistral forced us to skip Fréjus and shelter in Porquerolles - a good 70 miles to the west. But now it was time. Caesar's harbour fascinated me for the longest time. Why would Julius Caesar build his main naval base here in France? The answer is twofold: The upcoming civil war and geography. Forum Julium would neutralise Marseille - a powerful ancient Greek town that sided with his rivals. Forum Julium also offered a good harbour inside a wide bay. The hinterland could easily supply timber for building and repairing his fleet. Its fertile land could feed the mariners. It also had good road connections to Aix (Aquae Sextiae) and Nice (Cemenelum).

Forum Julium during the Time of Augustus

The Contours of the silted Roman Harbor today

A Roman naval base was a big thing. It harboured up to 100 triremes and had a good 6'000 military personnel. The equivalent of a Roman Legion. The town was also home to 7'000 civilians who must have made their living from supporting the naval base. Not surprisingly Forum Julium was a big hub. The spending power of the government and its soldiers created business opportunities. There was plenty of demand for luxury products.

The Bay of Saint-Rafael swings in a wide Arch south-

west. Fréjus is at the lower end to the south

Forum Julium's dependence on government spending was also the reason it became insignificant so quickly. A good 30 years after its construction, Augustus moved the Imperial Fleet to Misenum near Pozzuoli, the Empire's biggest commercial port (Golf of Naples). Once Augustus ruled the Mediterranean, he declared it the Mare Nostrum ("our sea"). There was no need for a big fleet any longer. For centuries, the Roman Navy did more policing than fighting. This changed with the collapse of the Western Empire in 476 AD. When Emperor Justinian conquered Italy back in 535 AD, he left part of his fleet behind in Genoa and Naples. But there was never a plan of making Frejus a naval base again.

Justinian won Italy, North Africa and Southern Spain back for the Roman Empire - he had no plans to conquer the Frankish Kingdom and developed good diplomatic Relations

Over the centuries, the river Argents west of Fréjus silted the ancient port and moved the coast line by about 1'000 meters out to the sea. The Plage de Fréjus, a summer destination for thousands of tourists, did not exist in Roman times. Today, Fréjus is a summer holiday place with a big port for leisure sail boats. Very little reminds us of its glorious past as Julius Ceasar's main naval base. Almost by accident, you may run into a Roman landmark like the "Lantern d'Auguste" which once marked the port entrance. Today, it stands a little lost in the middle of reeds - most people having no idea that it marked once the entrance to a strategically important Roman naval base.

La Lanterne d'Auguste stands a bit lost in Fréjus

Fréjus' modern Port was carved out - it has nothing to

do with the ancient Roman Harbour but is artificial

After this little detour back to our sailing in 2023, we will return to 2026 with the next blog on Misenum, the port which took over from Forum Julium.

Cannot believe that our trip starts in 30 days time!