GREEKS

Around 565 before Christ, a Greek colony landed in Corsica. She built a city at the entrance of the Tavignanu: Alalia. They are sailors and merchants. Diana's pond is a natural harbor for their boats and their trade. The resistance of the Corsicans keeps Greeks away in the interior of this region. They plant wheat, vineyards and olive trees and exploit mines of iron, copper, silver and lead. They established relations with the Corsicans, who, on their side, took advantage of the lessons of Greek civilization. The development of Alalia, on the sea-lanes, weighs on the policy of the cities of the Mediterranean. In 280 before Christ, the Cartagenae, settled in Sardinia, expelled the Greeks from Corsica.

ROMANS...

In 259 Before Christ, Roman legions took Alalia from the Carthaginians. The city is destroyed. The Romans settled in the plains. They seek to conquer the whole of Corsica, but the Corsicans oppose a strong resistance. There are thousands of dead people, and prisoners are treated as slaves. It takes a century to submit them, in 162.

Meanwhile, the Romans settled the families of their settlers on the farmland of the plain. Alalia, once rebuilt, was then called Aleria. It is a Roman city, with arch of triumph, forum, baths and aqueduct. Center of trade and productions, it is still an important military and commercial port (arsenal). In 100 Before Christ, another great city, Mariana, is born at the entrance of the GoIu.

CHRISTIANISATION

From the year 200, Christianity begins to settle down in Corsica. The Corsicans are pagan. It will take time to evangelize the mountain regions. At that time, Christians were still persecuted by the Roman Empire and Corsica also had its martyrs: Santa Divota, Santa Ghjulia, Santa Ristituta ...

In the year 313, religion is finally free. Six bishoprics were established: Aleria, Aiacciu, Accia, Savona, Mariana, Nebbiu. It was a period of peace in Corsica. The Corsicans began to live and work in the plain, as Roman citizens. Rome remained seven centuries in Corsica. Corsica, its people and even the Corsican language, which is very much Latin, has become Romanized.

Extrait de « Parlemu corsu 3 », Squadra di u Finusellu, 1990, Ajaccio