The Bellovaci (

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, ...

: ''Bellouacoi'') were a Belgic tribe dwelling in the modern

Picardy Picardy (; Picard language, Picard and , , ) is a historical and cultural territory and a former regions of France, administrative region located in northern France. The first mentions of this province date back to the Middle Ages: it gained it ...

region, near the present-day city of

Beauvais Beauvais ( , ; ) is a town and Communes of France, commune in northern France, and prefecture of the Oise Departments of France, département, in the Hauts-de-France Regions of France, region, north of Paris. The Communes of France, commune o ...

, during the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

and the Roman period. After they were defeated by Caesar in 57 BC, they gave lukewarm support to the Gallic revolt led by

Vercingetorix Vercingetorix (; ; – 46 BC) was a Gauls, Gallic king and chieftain of the Arverni tribe who united the Gauls in a failed revolt against Roman Republic, Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars. After surrendering to C ...

in 52 BC. The Bellovaci nonetheless organized resistance against Rome in 51 BC.

Name

They are mentioned as ''Bellovacos'' and ''Bellovaci'' by Caesar (mid-1st c. BC), ''Belloákoi'' (Βελλοάκοι) 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 "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

(early 1st c. AD), ''Bellovaci'' by Pliny (1st c. AD), and as ''Belloúakoi'' (Βελλούακοι) 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). The

ethnonym An ethnonym () is a name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (whose name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms, or endonyms (whose name is created and used ...

''Bellovacī'' is a latinized form of

''Bellouacoi'' (sing. ''Bellouacos''). The latter derives from the stem ''bello-'' ('strong, forceful'), but the translation of the suffix -''uaco-'' is uncertain. It could mean 'curved' (cf. Lat. ''uaccilare''), or else be related to the Irish ''fachain'' ('striving') and the

Scottish Gaelic Scottish Gaelic (, ; Endonym and exonym, endonym: ), also known as Scots Gaelic or simply Gaelic, is a Celtic language native to the Gaels of Scotland. As a member of the Goidelic language, Goidelic branch of Celtic, Scottish Gaelic, alongs ...

''fachail'' ('fight, strife'). The city of

, attested ca. 400 AD as ''civitas Bellovacorum'' ('

civitas 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 Roman law, law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilitie ...

of the Bellovaci', ''Belvacus'' in 874, ''Biauvais'' in 1132), is named after the Belgic tribe.

Geography

The territory of the Bellovaci was located in the Thérain valley, south of the Ambiani. They dominated on wooded heights, which constituted a natural frontier with the Veliocasses. To the east lived the more powerful Suessiones, who were probably able to contain potential expansions of the Bellovaci beyond the

Oise Oise ( ; ; ) is a department in the north of France. It is named after the river Oise. Inhabitants of the department are called ''Oisiens'' () or ''Isariens'', after the Latin name for the river, Isara. It had a population of 829,419 in 2019.< ...

river. The capital of their ''

'' was known as ''Caesaromagus'' (present-day

) during the Roman era. The Bellovaci most likely controlled the hill-fort Gournay-sur-Aronde, in which sanctuary may have been a site of fairs welcoming the Ambiani and Viromandui.

Economy

Their territory straddled the route from the

Seine The Seine ( , ) is a river in northern France. Its drainage basin is in the Paris Basin (a geological relative lowland) covering most of northern France. It rises at Source-Seine, northwest of Dijon in northeastern France in the Langres plat ...

to the Somme valleys. They were clients of the Aedui in central Gaul by the first century BC. The lack of specific gold coinage related to the Bellovaci also suggests a moderate economic power.

History

Roman conquest

This campaign occurred in the Compiègne Forest, in an area that had been occupied by the Suessiones. The Bellovaci intended to conquer this territory, a situation that

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (12 or 13 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 Caesar's civil wa ...

feared would expand into a greater threat and he decided it would be useful to intervene to prove Roman superiority. Bellovaci employed

guerrilla warfare Guerrilla warfare is a form of unconventional warfare in which small groups of irregular military, such as rebels, partisans, paramilitary personnel or armed civilians, which may include recruited children, use ambushes, sabotage, terrori ...

, in particular targeting Roman foragers. Meanwhile, Caesar's strategic plan was to draw the Bellovaci forces out into open ground.

Conquest

Caesar ordered troops into the territory of the Suessiones, but chose to confront the Bellovaci himself. The Bellovaci, led by Correus, camped at Mount St. Marc, intending to attack head on if Caesar brought three legions, and to use guerrilla tactics if he brought more. The Roman camp was located at Mount St. Pierre, and heavily fortified with two ditches and two lines of defences. The events of this campaign were recorded by Aulus Hirtius, though his findings do not entirely correspond with the geography of the region – he provided only that the Bellovaci camped at a "high wooded place surrounded by marsh". The Bellovaci were surprised by the arrival of Roman troops, and

was intimidated by the size of enemy forces, even though he (Caesar) had a large force of about 30,000 men with him, including four legions, tribes, and a few baggage trains. Neither initiated battle. The battles were initially small confrontations with varying success across the marsh surrounding Bellovaci territory. The Belgic warriors set traps in the woods for Roman foragers, and maintained an immensely advantageous position to the point that Caesar was forced to call for reinforcements of three legions from Trebonius. Intimidated by the pending arrival of Roman reinforcements and fearing a siege, Correus sent many of his battle-incapable troops to escape in the night. They accomplished this successfully, though Caesar's troops may have been able to catch them had they attempted to intervene.

Defeat and post-conquest period

Eventually, Caesar built a bridge and crossed the marsh by Mount St. Marc, positioning his troops within missile range of the Bellovaci camp. Correus and the Bellovaci retreated in the night to a stronger camp 10 miles away, using a line of fire to blind the Roman troops, leaving traps in their wake to impede Roman pursuit. Correus then attempted an ambush on Caesar's troops, though not their entire number, sending about 6000 of his men to a spot where he believed Caesar would forage for food. Caesar heard of this, although it is not clear how, and had reinforcements ready to attack once the ambush was set off; however, by the time he arrived, the Bellovaci were defeated, and their general Correus killed. After the battle, the Bellovaci were allegedly impressed by Caesar's clemency, which was secured through unclear means by Diviciacus; according to the ''Bello Gallico'' the leaders of the revolt fled to

Britain Britain most often refers to: * Great Britain, a large island comprising the countries of England, Scotland and Wales * The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, a sovereign state in Europe comprising Great Britain and the north-eas ...

, ''

Commentarii de Bello Gallico ''Commentarii de Bello Gallico'' (; ), also ''Bellum Gallicum'' (), is Julius Caesar's first-hand account of the Gallic Wars, written as a third-person narrative. In it, Caesar describes the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine yea ...

'' 2.14

References

Bibliography

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