MARI´TIMA a town of Gallia Narbonensis on the coast. Mela (2.5) says, that between Massilia and the Rhodanus Maritima was close to the Avaticorum stagnum ;and he adds that a fossadischarges a part of the lake's water by a navigable mouth. Pliny in a passage before quoted [FOSSA MARIANAV ol. 1. p. 912], also calls Maritima a town of the Avatici, above which are the Campi Lapidei.Ptolemy (Ptol. 2.18.8) places Maritima of the Avatici east of the eastern branch of the Rhone, and he calls it Colonia. The name is Avatici in the Greek texts of Ptolemy that are now printed, but it is Anatili in the Latin text of Pirckeym, and perhaps in other Latin texts. It does not seem certain which is the true reading. Walckenaer ( Géog. &c. vol. 1. p. 188) assumes that Anatili is the true reading in Ptolemy.
D'Anville concludes that Maritima was between Marseilleand the canal of Marius, and that Martiguesis the site; but there is no reason for fixing on Martigues, except that it is between the Rhone and Marseille, and that there is some little resemblance between the two names. It is said that no traces of remains have been found at Martigues, which, however, is not decisive against it, if it is true; and it is not true. Martiguesis near the outlet of the Étang de Berre. Walckenaer observes, that there has been found at Citisor Saint-Blaise, on the borders of the same lake, an inscription which mentions Curator Maritimae, Sextumvir Augustalis Avaticorum,and he would fix the Maritima Avaticorum of Pliny at this place. But he thinks that the Maritima Colonia of Ptolemy is a different place from the Maritima Avaticorum of Pliny; and he says that the measures of Ptolemy for Maritima Colonia fix the Anatili, whose capital this town was, between the mouths of the Rhone. Pliny also speaks of the Anatili (3.4), and Walckenaer says that he places them where Ptolemy does, or rather where he says that Ptolemy places them. But this is not so. Pliny places them east of the eastern branch of the Rhone, if his text can be understood. Nor is it true that Ptolemy places the Anatili or Avatici, whatever may be the true name in his text, between the mouths of the Rhone; for Ptolemy places them east of the eastern branch of the Rhone, where Pliny places the Avatici. Walckenaer can find no place for Ptolemy's Maritima Colonia, except by hazarding a guess that it may have been Heraclea [HERACLEA] at the mouth of the Rhone; but Ptolemy places the Maritima Colonia half a degree east of the eastern mouth of the Rhone. Walckenaer's examination of this question is very badly done. The site of Maritima at Saint-Blaiseseems probable, for it is certain that a Roman town was there. Many remains, Roman bricks, and coins have been found at Saint-Blaise;and there are wharves on which there are still iron rings to fasten ships by(Ukert, Gallien, p. 421). Ukert's authority seems to be the Statistique du Départ. des Bouches-du-Rhône;but one can hardly suppose that any man can believe that iron rings exposed to the weather could last so long.
[G.L]