Rome, to protect its ally Massilia and…

Rome, to protect its ally Massilia and ensure communications with Spain, annexes a strip of territory between the Cevennes and the Alps in 121, establishing the first Roman province in France, Gallia Transalpina ("Gaul across the Alps"), an area roughly equivalent to the modern Provence and Languedoc, and later known as Gallia Narbonensis ("Narbonese Gaul").

The Provençal city of Nimes, located about 65 miles (105 kilometers) northwest of Massilia, comes under Roman control but its continued importance is assured by its location on the Via Domitia, the main Roman road between northern Italy and Spain.