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Ambiorix | |
|---|---|
 Statue of Ambiorix inTongeren, Belgium. | |
| King and chieftain of theBelgae | |
| Prince of theEburones | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Unknown |
| Died | Unknown year in the era BC Gaul |
Ambiorix (Gaulish "king of the surroundings", or "king-protector") (fl. 54–53 BC) was, together withCativolcus, prince of theEburones, leader of aBelgic tribe of north-easternGaul (Gallia Belgica), where modernBelgium is located. In the nineteenth century Ambiorix became aBelgiannational hero because of hisresistance againstJulius Caesar, as written in Caesar'sCommentarii de Bello Gallico.[1]
It is generally accepted thatAmbiorix is aGaulish personal name formed with the prefixambio- attached torix ('king'), but the meaning of the first element is debated.[2] Some scholars translateAmbiorix as the 'king of the surroundings' or 'king of the enclosure', by interpretingambio- as a thematized form ofambi- ('around, on both sides') meaning 'surroundings' or else 'enclosure' (cf.Old Irishimbe 'enclosure').[3][4][5] Alternatively,Fredrik Otto Lindeman rendersAmbiorix as the 'protector-king', by derivingambio- from theProto-Indo-European compound*h₂mbhí-péh₂ ('protector'; cf.Old Indicadhi-pá- 'protector, ruler, master, king').[6][7]
In 57 BCE, Julius Caesar conquered parts ofGaul and alsoBelgica (Belgium, modern-day Northern France, Luxembourg, part of present-day Netherlands below theRhine River; and the north-western portion of North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany). There were several tribes in the country who fought against each other frequently. TheEburones were ruled by Ambiorix andCatuvolcus. In 54 BCE, Caesar's troops urgently needed more food, and so the local tribes were forced to give up part of theirharvest, which had not been good that year. Understandably, thestarving Eburones were reluctant to do so and Caesar ordered thatcamps be built near the Eburones' villages. Eachcenturion was ordered to make sure the food supplies were delivered to theRomansoldiers. This created resentment among the Eburones.
AlthoughJulius Caesar had freed him from paying tribute to theAtuatuci, Ambiorix joinedCatuvolcus in the winter of 54 BCE in an uprising against theRoman forces underQuintus Titurius Sabinus andLucius Aurunculeius Cotta.
Because a drought had disrupted his grain supply, Caesar was forced to winter his legions among the rebellious Belgic tribes. Roman troops led by Sabinus and Cotta were wintering among the Eburones when they were attacked by them, led by Ambiorix and Cativolcus. Ambiorix deceived the Romans, telling them the attack was made without his consent, and further advised them to flee as a large Germanic force was preparing to cross the Rhine. Trusting Ambiorix, Sabinus and Cotta's troops left the next morning. A short distance from their camp, the Roman troops were ambushed by the Eburones and massacred.
Elsewhere, another Roman force underQuintus Tullius Cicero, younger brother of the oratorMarcus, were wintering amongst the Nervii. Leading a coalition of rebellious Belgic tribes, Ambiorix surrounded Cicero's camp. After a long while, a Roman messenger was finally able to slip through the Belgic lines and get word of the uprising to Caesar. Mobilizing his legions, Caesar immediately marched to Cicero's aid. As they approached the besieged Roman camp, the Belgae moved to engage Caesar's troops. Vastly outnumbered, Caesar ordered his troops to appear confused and frightened, and they successfully lured the Belgae to attack them on ground favourable to the Romans. Caesar's forces launched a fierce counterattack, and soon put the Belgae to flight. Later, Caesar's troops entered Cicero's camp to find most of the men wounded.
Meanwhile,Indutiomarus, a leader of the Treveri, began to harass Labienus's camp daily, eventually provoking Labienus to send out his cavalry with specific orders to kill Indutiomarus. They did so, and routed the remnants of Indutiomarus's army. Caesar personally remained in Gaul for the remainder of winter due to the renewed Gallic threat.
When theRoman Senate became aware of the latest events, Caesar swore to destroy all the Belgic tribes. Ambiorix had killed fifteencohorts. A Belgic attack on Cicero, then stationed with a legion in the territory of theNervii, failed due to the timely appearance of Caesar. The Roman campaigns against the Belgae took a few years, but eventually the tribes were slaughtered or driven out and their fields burned. The Eburones disappeared from history after this genocidal event. According to the writerFlorus, Ambiorix and his men succeeded in escaping across theRhine and vanished from history.[8]
Caesar wrote about Ambiorix in his commentary about his battles against the Gauls,De Bello Gallico. In this text he also famously wrote: "Of these [three regions], the Belgae are the bravest." ("... Horum omnium fortissimi sunt Belgae ...").
Ambiorix remained a relatively obscure figure until the nineteenth century. The independence of Belgium in 1830 spurred a search fornational heroes. In Caesar'sDe Bello Gallico, Ambiorix and his deeds were rediscovered. In 1841, the Belgian poet Joannes Nolet de Brauwere Van Steeland wrote alyricalepic about Ambiorix. Furthermore, on 5 September 1866 a statue of Ambiorix was erected on the main market square inTongeren, Belgium, referred to by Caesar asAtuatuca, i.e. Atuatuca Tungrorum.
Today, Ambiorix is one of the most famous characters inBelgian history. Many companies, bars andfriteries have named themselves after him, and in many Belgiancomics such asSuske en Wiske andJommeke he plays a guest role. There was also a short-lived comic calledAmbionix,[9] which featured a scientist teleporting a Belgic chief, loosely based on Ambiorix, to modern-day Belgium.
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