Likewise, the Via Domitia, built in 118 B.C., helped to establish Gaul as Roman territory. This extensive highway effectively linked Gaul to Italy to the east and Roman possessions in Spain to the west. Because Spain also provided numerous problems for the Romans, the Via Domitia ensured a steady flow of Roman troops through Gaul.
The process of Romanization in Gaul was aided by Massalia's years of commercial influence. While Massalia sought aid from hostile neighbors, the city-state was engaged in extensive trade with numerous Gallic tribes. Archaeologists have found great numbers of amphorae, jugs used for Mediterranean wine, dispersed widely through ancient Gaul. Massalia exposed southern Gaul to Mediterranean influence to such an extent that Justinus remarked that "it seemed as though Gaul had become part of Greece, rather than that Greece had colonized Gaul." However, the process of Romanization was more problematic. This process, which assimilated the conquered in order to transform them into loyal subjects, was particularly difficult in Gaul because of Roman and Gallic attitudes. The Gauls were ready consumers of Mediterranean goods, but they were wary ofRoman social practices and unaccustomed to Roman notions of urban development.
