The Reii were a Celto-Ligurian tribe dwelling in the modern department of

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (sometimes abbreviated as AHP; ; ; ), formerly until 1970 known as Basses-Alpes (, ), is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the sou ...

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 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

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 ...

''Reii'' has been interpreted as meaning 'the free ones', stemming from an earlier *''Reiī'' (''<'' *''Riioi''), itself formed with the Celtic stem *''riio''- ('free'). According to

Xavier Delamarre Xavier Delamarre (; born 5 June 1954) is a French linguist, lexicographer, and former diplomat. He is regarded as one of the world's foremost authorities on the Gaulish language. With linguist Romain Garnier, Delamarre is the co-publishing edi ...

, the Reii could have been a group of freedmen or, more probably, an autonomous tribe among a group of subjugated peoples. The city of Riez, attested as ''Alebaece Reiorum Apollinarium'' in the 1st c. AD (''concilium Regense'' in 439, ''civitati Regensi'' in 990–7, ''Rietz'' in 1402) is named after the tribe.

Geography

Territory

The Reii dwelled in the valleys of the river and its tributaries, and in the lower Verdon valley up to the

Durance The Durance (; ''Durença'' in the Occitan classical norm or ''Durènço'' in the Mistralian norm) is a major river in Southeastern France. A left tributary of the Rhône, it is long. Its drainage basin is .Asse Asse () is a Municipalities of Belgium, municipality located in the Belgium, Belgian province of Flemish Brabant. It comprises the towns of Asse proper, Bekkerzeel, Kobbegem, Mollem, Relegem and Zellik. Asse is also situated in the Pajottenland. ...

and the . The eastern frontier of their territory was the boundary between the provinces of Narbonensis and Alpes Maritimae. Their territory was located north of the Verucini and Tritolli (themselves north of the Salyes), south of the

Vocontii The Vocontii (Gaulish: *''Uocontioi''; Ancient Greek, Greek: Οὐοκόντιοι, Οὐοκοντίων) were a Gauls, Gallic people dwelling on the western foothills of the Alps during the La Tène culture, Iron Age and the Roman period. The Vo ...

, east of the Dexivates, and west of the Sentii, Suetrii and Vergunni. According to historian Guy Barruol, they were part of the Saluvian confederation.

Settlements

Their capital was Alebaece (modern Riez), located at the foot of the hill of Saint-Maxime, at the confluence of the Colostre with its tributary the . The city was located near a main route linking

Fréjus Fréjus (; ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Var (department), Var Departments of France, department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur Regions of France, region in Southeastern France. It neighbours Saint-Raphaël, Var, Saint-Raphaël ...

with Sisteron and other places further north. From the reign of

Augustus Gaius Julius Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian (), was the founder of the Roman Empire, who reigned as the first Roman emperor from 27 BC until his death in A ...

, it became known as ''Iulia Augusta Apollinaris Reiorum''. ''Reiorum'' is a Latin formation based on the name of the tribe., s.v. ''Reii'' and ''Augusta Apollinaris Reiorum''. ''Alebaece'' was probably the name of the pre-Roman hill-fort on St-Maxime, and it has been connected with the

'' Albici'', the tribe that helped

Massalia Massalia (; ) was an ancient Greek colonisation, Greek colony (''apoikia'') on the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean coast, east of the Rhône. Settled by the Ionians from Phocaea in 600 BC, this ''apoikia'' grew up rapidly, and its population se ...

in her fight against

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 a civil war. He ...

in 49 BC. The Council of Reii was held in the city in 439 AD. Another important settlement was located at Gréoux-les-Bains, a Roman

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath, Somerset, Ba ...

where was found a dedication to the ''Nymphae Griselicae'' made by Annia Fundania Faustina.

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{Authority control Historical Celtic peoples Gauls Tribes in pre-Roman Gaul Tribes conquered by Rome Ligures Gallia Narbonensis