The Ambilici (
Gaulish
Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, 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, ...
: ''Ambilicoi'', 'those around the Licos') were a
Gallic tribe dwelling in the valley of
Gail
Gail may refer to:
People
* Gail (given name), list of notable people with the given name
Surname
* Jean-Baptiste Gail (1755–1829), French Hellenist scholar
* Max Gail (born 1943), American actor
* Sophie Gail (1775–1819), French singer ...
river (southern Austria) during the
Roman period
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Ambílikoi'' (Ἀμβίλικοι;
var. Ἀμβλικοί) by
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; , ; ; – 160s/170s AD) was a Greco-Roman mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were important to later Byzantine science, Byzant ...
(2nd c. AD).
[, s.v. ''Ambilikoi''.]
The ethnic name ''Ambilici'' is a latinized form of the
Gaulish
Gaulish is an extinct Celtic languages, 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, ...
''Ambilicoi'', which probably means 'around the Licos', that is 'those living around the Licos river'. The river name itself appears to be derived from ''lic(c)a'' ('flat stone'). Alternatively, it can be translated as 'the people on the rock' or 'the people around the cliff', by deriving the second element directly from Gaulish ''lica''.
Geography
The Ambilici lived around the Licos river (modern
Gail
Gail may refer to:
People
* Gail (given name), list of notable people with the given name
Surname
* Jean-Baptiste Gail (1755–1829), French Hellenist scholar
* Max Gail (born 1943), American actor
* Sophie Gail (1775–1819), French singer ...
). Their territory was located south of the
Ambidravi
The Ambidravi (Gaulish: *''Ambidrauoi'', 'those around the Dravus') were a Gallic tribe dwelling around the upper Drava river, near Teurnia (Austria), during the Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as ''Ambídranoi'' (Ἀμβίδρανοι) ...
, east of the Laianci,
Saevates and
Catubrini, north of the
Carni
The Carni (Greek: Καρνίοι) were a tribe of the Eastern Alps in classical antiquity of Celtic language and culture, settling in the mountains separating Noricum and Venetia. They probably gave their name to Carso, Carnia, Carinthia, and ...
.
[, Map 19: Raetia.]
References
Bibliography
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{{Authority control
Historical Celtic peoples
Gauls