TheViromanduī orVeromanduī (Gaulish: *Uiromanduoi) were aBelgic tribe dwelling in the modernVermandois region (Picardy) during theIron Age andRoman periods. During theGallic Wars (58–50 BC), they belonged to the Belgic coalition of 57 BC againstCaesar.[1]
They are mentioned asViromanduos andViromanduis (var.vero-) byCaesar (mid-1st c. BC),[2]Viromanduos byLivy (late 1st c. BC),[3]Veromandui (var.uir-) byPliny (1st c. AD),[4](Ou̓i)romándues (<Οὐι>ῥομάνδυες) byPtolemy (2nd c. AD),[5] and asVeromandi byOrosius (early 5th c. AD).[6][7]
TheethnonymViromanduī is a latinized form ofGaulish *Uiromanduoi (sing.Uiromanduos), which literally means 'horse-men' or 'male ponies'. It derives from the stem *uiro- ('man') attached tomandos ('pony'). It should perhaps be interpreted as the 'Centaurs' or as the '[men] virile in owning ponies'.[8][9][10]Pierre-Yves Lambert has also proposed the meaning 'those who trample upon men', by comparing the second element with the Welshmathru.[11]
The city ofVermand, probably attested asVirmandensiumcastrum in the 9th c. AD (Virmandi in 1160), and the region ofVermandois, attested in 877 asVermandensis pagus ('pagus of the Viromandui'), are named after the Belgic tribe.[12][13] AcivitasVeromandorum is mentioned in theNotita Galliarum (ca. 400 AD), but we do not know if it refers to Vermand or toSaint-Quentin.[14][15]
The territory of the Viromandui corresponded for the most part to the limits of theDiocese of Vermandois, around the modern towns ofVermand,Saint-Quentin,Noyon andMoislains.[16] It was located on the 'sill ofVermandois', in an area partly surrounded by dense forests on the upper courses of theSomme andOise rivers.[1]
They dwelled between theAmbiani andBellovaci in the west, theNervii andAtrebates in the north, theRemi in the east, and theSuessiones in the south.[17][16] The Oise river is traditionally regarded as the eastern border between the Viromandui and Remi.Ernest Desjardins, followed by some authors, has proposed that the Viromanduan territory stretched further east as far asVervins, although this remains controversial.[18][19]
Their mainoppidum (16–20hectares) until theRoman period, corresponding to the modern town ofVermand, was situated on a promontory east of the Omignon river. Fortifications and continuous occupation emerged relatively late on the site, just before or during theGallic Wars (58–50 BC), and it probably served only as a temporary refuge until the Roman invasion ofBelgica. Some have also proposed that it was erected as a military camp by Belgic auxiliaries serving in the Roman army. The site remained densely occupied from the Augustan era until the beginning of the 5th century AD.[20]
Augusta Viromandorum (modernSaint-Quentin), founded closer to communication axis just 11 km away from the oppidum of Vermand during the reign ofAugustus (27 BC–14 AD), soon replaced Vermand as the main settlement.[21] During the Roman period, Augusta Viromandorum reached a size of 40–60ha, in the average of Gallo-Roman chief towns.[22] During the 4th century, the settlement was apparently deserted or at least saw its population considerably reduced.[23] Some scholars have argued that Augusta (Saint-Quentin) was replaced by Virmandis (Vermand) as the chief town of the civitas during this period, and that it eventually regained its position in the 9th century, although this has been doubted by other scholars.[24][25][14]
Noviomagus (Gaulish: 'new market'), corresponding to modernNoyon, is first mentioned in theAntonine Itinerary (late 3rd c. AD) as a station on the route between Amiens and Reims.[26] By the 6th century, the influence of the town could rival other settlements of the region, and it became a local religious centre of power after the bishopMedardus transferred his episcopal siege to Noyon in 531.[27]
Other secondary agglomerations were located atGouy, Contraginum (Condren),Châtillon-sur-Oise, and possibly atMarcy. Gouy was occupied from the 1st century AD until at least the 3rd century. Located in the vicinity of Saint-Quentin, it reached a size of 12ha at its height.[24]
According to archaeologistJean-Louis Brunaux, large-scale migrations occurred in the northern part of Gaul in the late 4th–early 3rd century BC, which may correspond to the coming of theBelgae. By the end of the 3rd century BC, the Viromandui were probably already culturally integrated to the Belgae.[28]
The Viromandui are perhaps most famous for being a part of a Belgic alliance against the expansion ofJulius Caesar. Alongside theNervii and theAtrebates, they fought againstJulius Caesar in the Battle of the Sabis, around 57 BC, named for the river that split the battlefield. We know about this battle because it is described extensively in Julius Caesar’sDe Bello Gallico.[29] He tells how theBelgae surprised the Romans by charging out of the woods while the legions were still constructing the Roman camp. In the initial part of the battle, the Romans lost their camp and took heavy losses, prompting their Gallic allies to desert them. However, they reformed their lines and were finally able to rout the Viromandui andAtrebates, wiping out the Nervii, who reportedly “fought to the last, fighting on top of the corpses of their brethren.” After this battle Caesar went on to destroy all the strongholds of all the Belgic tribes, breaking their power and making them part of the Roman Empire.[30]
The Viromandui and Nervi used cavalry in very small numbers, concentrating on infantry whenever possible. Defensively, they often defeated their enemies' cavalry by forming defensive "hedges", described by Caesar as impenetrable walls of sharpened branches and skillfully cut saplings wrapped in thorns. Using these tactics they resisted the Romans by striking from the safety of their dense forests and marshes.[29]
The Viromandui probably gained the status of civitas during the 1st century AD. Roman-era inscriptions mention two Viromanduan serving asmagistrates.[32]
TheGallo-Roman religious site of the Champ des Noyers (Marteville, 1 km from Vermand) was probably erected on an older Gallic sanctuary, where some weapons of theLa Tène period, including a voluntary-deformed sword, seem to have been involved in a tradition of religious offerings. Three temples (fana) were built during the Roman period at this site.[33]
From the beginning of the 1st century AD, a sanctuary was located inMesnil-Saint-Nicaise which initially centred on a cremation platform used for the sacrifice ofcaprinae.[34] A temple was erected on the site ca. 150 AD, then abandoned ca. 280–290 AD. A vase dedicated toApollo Vatumarus and deposed with an offering was found at the site, along with the statuette of a mother-goddess, depictions ofRisus, and effigies of theNymphs andSol.[35][36] The divine nameVatumaros ('High Seer') is composed of the Gaulish rootvātis ('soothsayer, seer') attached tomaros ('high').[37]
An inscription fromAugusta Viromandorum mentions Suiccius, a Viromanduan priest honouring theImperial numen, and attests the presence of a public cult to the godVulcan.[32][38] In the town ofCondren was found abas-relief made of stone and depictingMercury andRosmerta.[39]
TheViromandui or their capitalAugusta are also mentioned on following inscriptions:
