The Atrebates (
Gaulish
Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switze ...
: *''Atrebatis'', 'dwellers, land-owners, possessors of the soil') were a
Belgic tribe of the
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age ( Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age ( Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly ...
and the
Roman period, originally dwelling in the
Artois region.
After the tribes of
Gallia Belgica were defeated by
Caesar in 57 BC, 4,000 Atrebates participated in the
Battle of Alesia in 53, led by their chief
Commius. They revolted again in 51 BC, after which they maintained a friendly relationship with Rome, as Commius received sovereignty over the neighbouring
Morini. The quality of their woollens is still mentioned in 301 AD by
Diocletian's
Price Edict.
An offshoot of the Belgic tribe probably entered Britain before 54 BC, where it was successively ruled by kings Commius,
Tincommius
Tincomarus (a dithematic name form typical of insular and continental Celtic onomastics, analysable as ''tinco-'', perhaps a sort of fish f Latin ''tinca'', English ''tench''+ ''maro-'', "big") was a king of the Iron Age Belgic tribe of the Atre ...
,
Eppillus and
Verica. After 43 AD, only parts of the area were still controlled by king
Claudius Cogidubnus, after which they fell under Roman power.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Atrebates'' by
Caesar (mid-1st c. BC) and
Pliny (1st c. AD), ''Atrebátioi'' (Ἀτρεβάτιοι) by
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called " Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could s ...
(early 1st c. AD), ''Atribátioi'' (Ἀτριβάτιοι) by
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
(2nd c. AD), ''Atrébas'' (Ἀτρέβας) by
Cassius Dio
Lucius Cassius Dio (), also known as Dio Cassius ( ), was a Roman historian and senator of maternal Greek origin. He published 80 volumes of the history on ancient Rome, beginning with the arrival of Aeneas in Italy. The volumes documented the ...
(3rd c. AD), and as ''Atrabatis'' in the ''
Notitia Dignitatum'' (5th c. AD).
The
ethnonym ''Atrebates'' is a latinized form of the
Gaulish
Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switze ...
*''Atrebatis'' (
sing. ''Atrebas''), which literally means 'dwellers, land-owners, possessors of the soil'. It derives from the
Proto-Celtic
Proto-Celtic, or Common Celtic, is the ancestral proto-language of all known Celtic languages, and a descendant of Proto-Indo-European. It is not attested in writing but has been partly reconstructed through the comparative method. Proto-Celt ...
stem ''*attreb-'' ('settlement') attached to the suffix ''-atis'' ('belonging to'), the former descending, as a result of an
assimilation
Assimilation may refer to:
Culture
* Cultural assimilation, the process whereby a minority group gradually adapts to the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture and customs
** Language shift, also known as language assimilation, the prog ...
from an earlier *''ad-treb''-, from the
Proto-Indo-European
Proto-Indo-European (PIE) is the reconstructed common ancestor of the Indo-European language family. Its proposed features have been derived by linguistic reconstruction from documented Indo-European languages. No direct record of Proto-Indo ...
root for 'settlement', ''*treb-'' (cf.
Osc. ''trííbúm'',
Germ. ''*Þurpa'',
Lith. ''trobà'' 'house'). The ethnic name is
cognate with the
Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...
''ad-treba'' ('he dwells, cultivates') and ''attrab'' ('possession, the act of occupying, a dwelling'), the
Modern Irish ''áitreabhach'' ('inhabitant'), and the
Middle Welsh ''athref'' ('dwelling-place, abode').
The city of
Arras, attested ca. 400 AD as ''civitas Atrabatum'' ('
civitas of the Atrebates'; ''Atrebatis'' in 881, ''Arras'' in 1137), the region of
Artois, attested in 799 as ''pago Atratinse'' ('
pagus
In ancient Rome, the Latin word (plural ) was an administrative term designating a rural subdivision of a tribal territory, which included individual farms, villages (), and strongholds () serving as refuges, as well as an early medieval geogra ...
of the Abrates'; ''Atrebatense castrum'' in 899, later ''Arteis''), and the , attested ca. 1050 as ''Atravasia silva'' ('forest of the Atrebates'; ''Arwasia'' in 1202), are all named after the Belgic tribe.
Geography
Territory
The Belgic Atrebates dwelled in the present-day region of
Artois, in the catchment area of the
Scarpe river. They commanded two hill forts: a large and central one near Arras, and a frontier one on the
Escaut river
The Scheldt (french: Escaut ; nl, Schelde ) is a river that flows through northern France, western Belgium, and the southwestern part of the Netherlands, with its mouth at the North Sea. Its name is derived from an adjective corresponding ...
. The Atrebates were separated from the
Ambiani by the
Canche river.
In the mid-first century BC, an offshoot of the tribe lived in Britain, where they occupied a region stretching between the
Thames, the
Test
Test(s), testing, or TEST may refer to:
* Test (assessment), an educational assessment intended to measure the respondents' knowledge or other abilities
Arts and entertainment
* ''Test'' (2013 film), an American film
* ''Test'' (2014 film), ...
, and
West Sussex.
Settlements
During the
Roman period, their centre was transferred from the hill-fort of
Etrun to Nemetocennae (present-day
Arras), on an important road junction. The name ''Nemetocennae'' means in
Gaulish
Gaulish was an ancient Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium, most of Switze ...
either 'far' or 'born' 'from the sacred wood, the sanctuary', stemming from the root ''
nemet(o)-'' ('sacred wood' > 'sanctuary') attached to the suffix -''cenna'' ('far') or, more likely, to a deformed suffix -''genna'' ('born from'). It is later attested as ''Metacon'' by
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
(ca. 170 AD), and as ''Nemetacum'' (ca. 300 AD) or ''Nemetaco'' (365), with the same root attached to the Gaulish suffix ''-acos''.
Before 54 BC, an offshoot of the Gallic tribe probably settled in Britain. After the
Roman invasion of Britain, three ''
civitates
In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities () on t ...
'' were created in the late 1st c. BC: one of the Atrebates, with a capital in
Calleva Atrebatum
Calleva Atrebatum ("Calleva of the Atrebates") was an Iron Age oppidum, the capital of the Atrebates tribe. It then became a walled town in the Roman province of Britannia, at a major crossroads of the roads of southern Britain.
The modern villa ...
(
Silchester); one of the
Belgae with its capital at
Venta Belgarum (
Winchester); and one of the Reg(i)ni, with a capital at
Noviomagus Reginorum (
Chichester
Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ...
).
History
Gaul
In 57 BC, they were part of a
Belgic military alliance in response to
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, an ...
's conquests elsewhere in Gaul, contributing 15,000 men.
[Caesar, ''De Bello Gallico,'' 2.4] Caesar took this build-up as a threat and marched against it, but the Belgae had the advantage of position and the result was a stand-off. When no battle was forthcoming, the Belgic alliance broke up, determining to gather to defend whichever tribe Caesar attacked. Caesar subsequently marched against several tribes and achieved their submission.
The Atrebates then joined with the
Nervii and
Viromandui and attacked Caesar at the
battle of the Sabis, but were there defeated. After thus conquering the Atrebates, Caesar appointed one of their countrymen,
Commius, as their king. Commius was involved in Caesar's two expeditions to Britain in 55 and 54 BC and negotiated the surrender of
Cassivellaunus. In return for his loyalty, he was also given authority over the
Morini. However, he later turned against the Romans and joined in the revolt led by
Vercingetorix in 52 BC. After Vercingetorix's defeat at the
Siege of Alesia, Commius had further confrontations with the Romans, negotiated a truce with
Mark Antony
Marcus Antonius (14 January 1 August 30 BC), commonly known in English as Mark Antony, was a Roman politician and general who played a critical role in the transformation of the Roman Republic from a constitutional republic into the au ...
, and ended up fleeing to Britain with a group of followers. However, he appears to have retained some influence in Gaul: coins of post-conquest date have been found stamped with his name, paired with either
Garmanos or
Carsicios, who may have been his sons or regents.
Britain
Commius soon established himself as king of the British Atrebates, a kingdom he may have founded. Their territory comprised modern
Hampshire
Hampshire (, ; abbreviated to Hants) is a ceremonial and non-metropolitan county in western South East England on the coast of the English Channel. Home to two major English cities on its south coast, Southampton and Portsmouth, Hampshire ...
,
West Sussex and
Berkshire, centred on the capital
Calleva Atrebatum
Calleva Atrebatum ("Calleva of the Atrebates") was an Iron Age oppidum, the capital of the Atrebates tribe. It then became a walled town in the Roman province of Britannia, at a major crossroads of the roads of southern Britain.
The modern villa ...
(modern
Silchester). They were bordered to the north by the
Dobunni and
Catuvellauni; to the east by the
Regni; and to the south by the
Belgae.
The settlement of the Atrebates in Britain was not a mass population movement. Archaeologist
Barry Cunliffe argues that they "seem to have comprised a series of indigenous tribes, possibly with some intrusive Belgic element, given initial coherence by Commius". It is possible that the name "Atrebates", as with many "tribal" names in this period, referred only to the ruling house or dynasty and not to an ethnic group; Commius and his followers, after arriving in Britain, may have established a power-base and gradually expanded their sphere of influence, creating what was in effect a proto-
state. However, during Caesar's first expedition to Britain in 55 BC, after the Roman cavalry had been unable to cross the Channel, Commius was able to provide a small group of horsemen from his people, suggesting that he may have already had kin in Britain at that time. After this time, the Atrebates were recognized as a
client kingdom of Rome.
Coins stamped with Commius's name were issued from Calleva from ca. 30 BC to 20 BC. Some coins are stamped "COM COMMIOS": interpreting this as "Commius son of Commius", and considering the length of his apparent ''
floruit
''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...
'', some have concluded that there were two kings, father and son, of the same name.
Three later kings of the British Atrebates name themselves on their coins as sons of Commius:
Tincomarus,
Eppillus and
Verica. Tincomarus seems to have ruled jointly with his father from about 25 BC until Commius's death in about 20 BC. After that, Tincomarus ruled the northern part of the kingdom from Calleva, while Eppillus ruled the southern half from Noviomagus (
Chichester
Chichester () is a cathedral city and civil parish in West Sussex, England.OS Explorer map 120: Chichester, South Harting and Selsey Scale: 1:25 000. Publisher:Ordnance Survey – Southampton B2 edition. Publishing Date:2009. It is the only ...
). Numismatic and other archeological evidence suggests that Tincomarus took a more pro-Roman stance than his father, and John Creighton argues from the imagery on his coins that he was brought up as an ''obses'' (diplomatic hostage) in
Rome
, established_title = Founded
, established_date = 753 BC
, founder = King Romulus ( legendary)
, image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg
, map_caption ...
under
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
.
Augustus's ''
Res Gestae'' mentions two British kings presenting themselves to him as supplicants, probably ca. 7 AD. The passage is damaged, but one is probably Tincomarus (the other is
Dubnovellaunus, of either the
Trinovantes or the
Cantiaci
The Cantiaci or Cantii were an Iron Age Celtic people living in Britain before the Roman conquest, and gave their name to a ''civitas'' of Roman Britain. They lived in the area now called Kent, in south-eastern England. Their capital was ''Duro ...
). It appears Tincomarus was ousted by his brother, and from this point Epillus's coins are marked "''Rex''", indicating that he was recognised as king by Rome.
In about 15, Eppillus was succeeded by Verica (at about the same time, a king by the name of Eppillus appears as ruler of the Cantiaci in
Kent
Kent is a county in South East England and one of the home counties. It borders Greater London to the north-west, Surrey to the west and East Sussex to the south-west, and Essex to the north across the estuary of the River Thames; it faces ...
). But Verica's kingdom was being pressed by the expansion of the
Catuvellauni under
Cunobelinus
Cunobeline (or Cunobelin, from Latin , derived from Common Brittonic ''*Cunobelinos'' "Strong as a Dog", "Strong Dog") was a king in pre-Roman Britain from about AD 9 until about AD 40.Malcolm Todd (2004)"Cunobelinus_ _(d._''c'' ...
. Calleva fell to Cunobelinus's brother Epaticcus">ymbeline/nowiki>_(d._''c'' ...
. Calleva fell to Cunobelinus's brother Epaticcus by about 25. Verica regained some territory following Epaticcus's death in about 35, but Cunobelinus's son Caratacus took over the campaign and by the early 40s the Atrebates were conquered. Verica fled to Rome, giving the new emperor Claudius the pretext for the Roman conquest of Britain.
After the Roman conquest, part of the Atrebates' lands were organized into the pro-Roman kingdom of the
, who may have been Verica's son. The tribal territory was later organised as the ''
'' (administrative districts within a Roman province) of the Atrebates, Regni and possibly the Belgae.
However it is possible that the Atrebates were a family of rulers (
.
, 57 - c. 20 BC
#
, c. 20 BC - AD 7, son of Commius
#
, 15 - 40, brother of Eppillus
#Claudius Cogidubnus
#Full Roman annexation.
*
*John Creighton, ''Coins and Power in Late Iron Age Britain'', Cambridge University Press, 2000
*
, ''Iron Age Britain''. London: B. T. Batsford/English Heritage, 1995
*
, ''Britannia''. 1967, revised 1978, 3rd ed. 1987