The friendship of Marseilles was of great use to her.

In the whole course of her struggle with Carthage, and but lately, at the passage of Hannibal through Gaul, Rome had met with the best of treatment there.

She granted the Massilians a place amongst her senators at the festivals of the Republic, and exemption from all duty in her ports.

Towards the middle of the second century B.C.Marseilles was at war with certain Gallic tribes, her neighbors, whose territory she coveted.

Two of her colonies, Nice and Antibes, were threatened.