The head office of Massalia by Jules César

49 AV. J.-C. - Marseilles takes party for Pompée, it is besieged by César.
César and Pompée, disputing the supreme capacity in Rome, entered in fight. Marseilles was declared for Pompée.
Romains César initially tried to attract the Marseillais with him by persuasion; not succeeding there, it besieged the city. It made build twelve galères with Arles, placed them under the command of Brutus Décimus and the command gave them
to block the port.
The Roman legions, three (18 000 men approximately), were under the commands of Trébonius. César, called in Spain, left it to his lieutenants to reduce or carry the place. A naval action took place in the roads of Marseilles.
It was not favorable to the Marseilles fleet. Pumped then sent to the help of Marseilles sixteen galères under the commands of Nasidius. The victory remained in Brutus. All the galères were run or taken; only one re-entered to the port bringing the news of the disaster.
Nobody wanted to go and all the valid citizens reflect their energy to face the attackers on the side of the ground, where Trébonius pushed its work of approach actively and its attaques.Marseille had to capitulate after César, income of Spain, had joined Trebonius. Marseilles was obliged to deliver its weapons, the Treasury and the citadel, to demolish its ramparts and to undergo a Roman garrison made up of two legions.
It must be saved plundering and destruction, not with the nobility of soul of the future dictator, (he did not deprive himself to decimate Bourges or to burn Orleans during the war of Gaules), but with its political strategy because, by delivering Massalia to its soldiers,
it was likely to alienate the Roman opinion, favorable to a so old friendly city. César left to the Marseillais the right to live under their laws, to enjoy in peace the advantages their trade, but it ravit their independence to them. The Romans established a camp, on a hill close to the city, to supervise Marseille. It was called "the hill of the guard