It has been assumed that when the city of Alba was founded at the beginning of the Roman Empire it was the successor, as often occurred in Gaul, of an earlier city. The existence of a protohistoric oppidum Chaulène on the plateau, northwest of Alba, is in fact likely. The assumption of a lowland habitat can also be used as the excavations to the west of the "St. Peter" site have yielded the remains of stone tools dating from the late third millennium. At the location of two "domus" south-east of the "home field Lauzun" site, a habitat was found of
La Tène III (first century BC.) The discovery of imported ceramics of "Campanian type A" which debris was also collected in "Saint-Pierre" such as collars, handles, and lips of wine amphorae from Italy and some Allobrogian currency issued in the third quarter of the 1st century AD revealed a long term relationship with the Romans before the invasion. Other hill forts are known in the territory of Helviens such as Jastres North. When Bituitos, the Chief of the Arverni people who were located beyond the Cevennes, was defeated in 121 BC by the Roman consul
Quintus Fabius Maximus Allobrogicus, Alba was already the capital of the Helviens territory which corresponded approximately to the current department of the Ardeche. Their neighbours were
Segusiavi: to the north-west the
Vellaves Gabales and to the south
Volques Arécomiques. Fabius Maximus managed to separate the Helviens the
Allobroges and Arverni and draw them into alliance with Rome. They obtained the title of allies and friends of Rome and Julius Caesar observed, on his arrival in Gaul, that they were independent and had their own customs and administration. In 83 BC Cabur, the Chief of the helviens obtained
Roman citizenship under the name of
Gaius Valerius Caburus and his son
Gaius Valerius Troucillus became a friend of
Julius Caesar. The pro-Roman politics of the Helviens allowed Caesar to install his forces near the Arverni. After winning over the Helvie and its capital Alba there was major economic development. Subsequently, Augustus Caesar conferred on Alba the privilege of Roman law. First attached to the province of
Aquitaine in the time of
Strabo, it appears to have been integrated into the province of
Narbonne. '' "The Starting point of the Roman roads to
Valence,
Vienne, and
Lyon by the banks of the
Rhone, another to Bourg-Saint-Andéol, Narbonne, and finally to Gergovie. Apart from the roads, Alba was the centre of an agricultural region, especially for wine, and a regional trading centre of Gaul.... Alba was from the first century a major city", said
Marcel Le Glay, "although not equaling the splendour of
Arles,
Orange,
Nimes or
Vienne. Until its peak in the second century, Alba developed on two axes: south on the terraces of Escoutay and north in the "Bagnols" district located near the valley the Rhone below the
Massif Central. At the time of the Christianization of the city, the first episcopal see of the region remains uncertain, ranging from the late first century or that of the second century. After its decline, probably from the late third century, the city lost its episcopal function in the middle of the fourth century to the benefit of Viviers. The ancient site was abandoned and a new settlement was made in the
Middle Ages in the location of the present village. The names of the Bishops of Alba are known to us through a document written in 950 by the
Bishop of Viviers (Thomas II): the
Charta Vetus: they were called Januarius, Septimius, Maspicianus, Melanus and Auxonius. The existence of a Bishop Avolus is a popular tradition (Yves Esquieu). This was attributed to the
Alemanni at the destruction of
Alba Helvorium in 406 AD. Bishop Avolus was put to death and his successor Bishop Auxionus established the fortified town of Viviers which gave him his diocese name Vivarais. Yves Esquieu gave a transfer date around 475 but if so then the transfer would have been done by Promotus, a successor of Bishop Auxonius. Against the wall of the Jewish cemetery in the northern district of
Bonn,
Germany there is a relief from the tombstone of the first known inhabitant of Bonn: namely a Roman soldier who came in 35 AD from
Helviorium Alba (Alba-La-Romaine today). The tombstone inscription, translated from Latin means: "Here lies Publius Clodius, son of Plubius, from the Voltinia Region, born at Alba, soldier of the first legion, 48 years old, died after 25 years of service.".
Heraldry ==Administration==