TheAtrebates (Gaulish: *Atrebatis, 'dwellers, land-owners, possessors of the soil') were aBelgic tribe of theIron Age and theRoman period, originally dwelling in theArtois region.[1]
After the tribes ofGallia Belgica were defeated byCaesar in 57 BC, 4,000 Atrebates participated in theBattle of Alesia in 52, led by their chiefCommius. They revolted again in 51 BC, after which they maintained a friendly relationship with Rome, as Commius received sovereignty over the neighbouringMorini.[1][2] The quality of their woollens is still mentioned in 301 AD byDiocletian'sPrice Edict.[2]
An offshoot of the Belgic tribe probably entered Britain before 54 BC, where it was successively ruled by kings Commius,Tincommius,Eppillus andVerica. After 43 AD, only parts of the area were still controlled by kingClaudius Cogidubnus, after which they fell under Roman power.[3]
They are mentioned asAtrebates byCaesar (mid-1st c. BC) andPliny (1st c. AD),[4]Atrebátioi (Ἀτρεβάτιοι) byStrabo (early 1st c. AD),[5]Atribátioi (Ἀτριβάτιοι) byPtolemy (2nd c. AD),[6]Atrébas (Ἀτρέβας) byCassius Dio (3rd c. AD),[7] and asAtrabatis in theNotitia Dignitatum (5th c. AD).[8][9]
TheethnonymAtrebates is a latinized form of theGaulish *Atrebatis (sing.Atrebas), which literally means 'dwellers, land-owners, possessors of the soil'. It derives from theProto-Celtic stem*attreb- ('settlement') attached to the suffix-atis ('belonging to'), the former descending, as a result of anassimilation from an earlier *ad-treb-, from theProto-Indo-European root for 'settlement',*treb- (cf.Osc.trííbúm,Germ.*Þurpa,Lith.trobà 'house'). The ethnic name iscognate with theOld Irishad-treba ('he dwells, cultivates') andattrab ('possession, the act of occupying, a dwelling'), theModern Irisháitreabhach ('inhabitant'), and theMiddle Welshathref ('dwelling-place, abode').[10]
The city ofArras, attested ca. 400 AD ascivitas Atrabatum ('civitas of the Atrebates';Atrebatis in 881,Arras in 1137), the region ofArtois, attested in 799 aspago Atratinse ('pagus of the Abrates';Atrebatense castrum in 899, laterArteis), and theArrouaise Forest [fr], attested ca. 1050 asAtravasia silva ('forest of the Atrebates';Arwasia in 1202), are all named after the Belgic tribe.[11]
The Belgic Atrebates dwelled in the present-day region ofArtois, in the catchment area of theScarpe river.[12][1] They commanded two hill forts: a large and central one near Arras, and a frontier one on theEscaut river.[12] The Atrebates were separated from theAmbiani by theCanche river.[12]
In the mid-first century BC, an offshoot of the tribe lived in Britain, where they occupied a region stretching between theThames, theTest, andWest Sussex.[3]
During theRoman period, their centre was transferred from the hill-fort ofÉtrun to Nemetocennae (present-dayArras), on an important road junction.[2] The nameNemetocennae means inGaulish either 'far' or 'born' 'from the sacred wood, the sanctuary', stemming from the rootnemet(o)- ('sacred wood' > 'sanctuary') attached to the suffix -cenna ('far') or, more likely, to a deformed suffix -genna ('born from').[13] It is later attested asMetacon byPtolemy (ca. 170 AD), and asNemetacum (ca. 300 AD) orNemetaco (365), with the same root attached to the Gaulish suffix-acos.[13]
Before 54 BC, an offshoot of the Gallic tribe probably settled in Britain.[3] After theRoman invasion of Britain, threecivitates were created in the late 1st c. BC: one of the Atrebates, with a capital inCalleva Atrebatum (Silchester); one of theBelgae with its capital atVenta Belgarum (Winchester); and one of the Reg(i)ni, with a capital atNoviomagus Reginorum (Chichester).[3]
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In 57 BC, they were part of aBelgic military alliance in response toJulius Caesar's conquests elsewhere in Gaul, contributing 15,000 men.[14] Caesar took this build-up as a threat and marched against it, but the Belgae had the advantage of position and the result was a stand-off.[citation needed] When no battle was forthcoming, the Belgic alliance broke up, determining to gather to defend whichever tribe Caesar attacked. Caesar subsequently marched against several tribes and achieved their submission.
The Atrebates then joined with theNervii andViromandui and attacked Caesar at thebattle of the Sabis, but were there defeated. After thus conquering the Atrebates, Caesar appointed one of their countrymen,Commius, as their king. Commius was involved in Caesar's two expeditions to Britain in 55 and 54 BC and negotiated the surrender ofCassivellaunus. In return for his loyalty, he was also given authority over theMorini. However, he later turned against the Romans and joined in the revolt led byVercingetorix in 52 BC. After Vercingetorix's defeat at theSiege of Alesia, Commius had further confrontations with the Romans, negotiated a truce withMark Antony, and ended up fleeing to Britain with a group of followers. However, he appears to have retained some influence in Gaul: coins of post-conquest date have been found stamped with his name, paired with eitherGarmanos orCarsicios, who may have been his sons or regents.[citation needed]
| Atrebates | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Geography | |
| Capital | Calleva Atrebatum(Silchester) |
| Location | Hampshire West Sussex Berkshire |
| Rulers | Commius Tincomarus,Eppillus,Verica |
Commius soon established himself as king of the British Atrebates, a kingdom he may have founded. Their territory comprised modernHampshire,West Sussex andBerkshire, centred on the capitalCalleva Atrebatum (modernSilchester). They were bordered to the north by theDobunni andCatuvellauni; to the east by theRegni; and to the south by theBelgae.
The settlement of the Atrebates in Britain was not a mass population movement. ArchaeologistBarry Cunliffe argues that they "seem to have comprised a series of indigenous tribes, possibly with some intrusive Belgic element, given initial coherence by Commius".[citation needed] It is possible that the name "Atrebates", as with many "tribal" names in this period, referred only to the ruling house or dynasty and not to an ethnic group; Commius and his followers, after arriving in Britain, may have established a power-base and gradually expanded their sphere of influence, creating what was in effect a proto-state. However, during Caesar's first expedition to Britain in 55 BC, after the Roman cavalry had been unable to cross the Channel, Commius was able to provide a small group of horsemen from his people, suggesting that he may have already had kin in Britain at that time.[citation needed] After this time, the Atrebates were recognized as aclient kingdom of Rome.[citation needed]
Coins stamped with Commius's name were issued from Calleva from ca. 30 BC to 20 BC. Some coins are stamped "COM COMMIOS": interpreting this as "Commius son of Commius", and considering the length of his apparentfloruit, some have concluded that there were two kings, father and son, of the same name.[citation needed]
Three later kings of the British Atrebates name themselves on their coins as sons of Commius:Tincomarus,Eppillus andVerica. Tincomarus seems to have ruled jointly with his father from about 25 BC until Commius's death in about 20 BC. After that, Tincomarus ruled the northern part of the kingdom from Calleva, while Eppillus ruled the southern half from Noviomagus (Chichester). Numismatic and other archeological evidence suggests that Tincomarus took a more pro-Roman stance than his father, and John Creighton argues from the imagery on his coins that he was brought up as anobses (diplomatic hostage) inRome underAugustus.
Augustus'sRes Gestae mentions two British kings presenting themselves to him as supplicants, probably ca. 7 AD. The passage is damaged, but one is probably Tincomarus (the other isDubnovellaunus, of either theTrinovantes or theCantiaci). It appears Tincomarus was ousted by his brother, and from this point Eppillus's coins are marked "Rex", indicating that he was recognised as king by Rome.
In about 15, Eppillus was succeeded by Verica (at about the same time, a king by the name of Eppillus appears as ruler of the Cantiaci inKent). But Verica's kingdom was being pressed by the expansion of theCatuvellauni underCunobelinus. Calleva fell to Cunobelinus's brotherEpaticcus by about 25. Verica regained some territory following Epaticcus's death in about 35, but Cunobelinus's sonCaratacus took over the campaign and by the early 40s the Atrebates were conquered. Verica fled to Rome, giving the new emperorClaudius a pretext for theRoman conquest of Britain.[citation needed]
After the Roman conquest, part of the Atrebates' lands were organized into the pro-Roman kingdom of theRegni underTiberius Claudius Cogidubnus, who may have been Verica's son. The tribal territory was later organised as thecivitates (administrative districts within a Roman province) of the Atrebates, Regni and possibly the Belgae.
| National | |
|---|---|
| Geographic | |
