Ambicatus

Ambicatus , also Ambigatus , was, according to the Roman historian Titus Livius, a Celtic king from the tribe of the Biturigen ("world kings"), who is said to have been king of Gaul at the same time .

Hiking trains of the Biturigen

According to Livius' work Ab urbe condita libri CXLII , Ambicatus ruled at the time of the legendary Roman king Lucius Tarquinius Priscus in the early 6th century BC. BC Livy mentions Ambicatus in the founding legend Mediolanum and reports that Ambicatus asked the gods for advice because of the overpopulation of his territory. After their arbitration, the two sons of his sister Bellovesus and Segovesus were sent out with a part of their own and some friendly tribes to conquer new residential areas. Bellovesus moved to Italy, what was later called the province of Gallia cisalpina , and Segovesus moved to the Hercynian Forest .

In addition to the Biturigen, the Aulerker and Cenomaniac are said to have left their homeland. A cross-tribal kingship is otherwise not attested outside of this narrative in Livius.

The sending of the two maternal nephews by Ambicatus is sometimes seen as a sign of matrilinearity among the Celts (see Celtic women # Matrilinearity ).

The origin of this story is probably a legend of the northern Italian Celts, a historical background for it has not yet been established.

Etymology of the name

The first part of the name comes from the Gallic ambi ("around"), the second part -catus is identical to Old Irish cath ("fight") and corresponds to the Germanic name element hathu- , hadu etc. The whole name with the approximate meaning "all around fight" has an etymologically exact counterpart in Ailtirisch Imchath .

literature

Helmut Birkhan : Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. Publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 1997, ISBN 3-7001-2609-3 .
Bernhard Maier : Lexicon of Celtic Religion and Culture (= Kröner's pocket edition . Volume 466). Kröner, Stuttgart 1994, ISBN 3-520-46601-5 , p. 18.
Susanne Sievers / Otto Helmut Urban / Peter C. Ramsl: Lexicon for Celtic Archeology. A-K and L-Z ; Announcements of the prehistoric commission in the publishing house of the Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna 2012, ISBN 978-3-7001-6765-5 .

Individual evidence

↑ Livius 5, 34 : De transitu in Italiam Gallorum haec accepimus: Prisco Tarquinio Romae regnante, Celtarum quae pars Galliae tertia est penes Bituriges summa imperii fuit; ii regem Celtico dabant. Ambicatus is fuit, uirtute fortunaque cum sua, tum publica praepollens, quod in imperio eius Gallia adeo frugum hominumque fertilis fuit ut abundans multitudo uix regi uideretur posse. Hic magno natu ipse iam exonerare praegrauante turba regnum cupiens, Bellouesum ac Segouesum sororis filios impigros iuuenes missurum se esse in quas di dedissent auguriis sedes ostendit; quantum ipsi uellent numerum hominum excirent ne qua gens arcere aduenientes posset. Tum Segoueso sortibus dati Hercynei saltus; Beloueso haud paulo laetiorem in Italiam uiam di dabant. Is quod eius ex populis abundabat, Bituriges, Aruernos, Senones, Haeduos, Ambarros, Carnutes, Aulercos exciuit. Profectus ingentibus peditum equitumque copiis in Tricastinos uenit.
("When Tarquinius Priscus ruled Rome, the Biturigen had the highest power among the Celts, who make up the third part of Gaul. They placed the king within the Celtic part of the population (the Celticum) . That was Ambicatus at that time, a very powerful man his ability and because happiness was dear to him and especially to his people, for under his rule Gaul was so rich in fruits and people that it seemed as if the great multitude could hardly be ruled because he had the kingdom from the oppressive Wishing to relieve overpopulation, but was himself already in years, he declared that he would send Bellovesus and Segovesus, his sister's sons, energetic young men, to the residences which the gods would give them by their signs.They should have a number Raising people, as many as they wanted themselves, so that no nation could fend off the arriving, and Segovesus received the Hercynians through the lots Forests; the gods gave Bellovesus the far more enjoyable route to Italy. He raised what his peoples had in excess, Biturigen, Arverner , Senonen , Haeduer , Ambarrer , Karnuten and Aulerker , set out with enormous troops of foot soldiers and riders and came into the area of the Tricastines . ")
↑ ^a ^b Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. S, 85 f.
↑ ^a ^b Sievers / Urban / Ramsl: Lexicon of Celtic Archeology. A-K and L-Z; P. 51 f.

personal data
SURNAME	Ambicatus
ALTERNATIVE NAMES	Ambigatus
BRIEF DESCRIPTION	Gallic hero of legends
DATE OF BIRTH	between 7th century BC BC and 4th century BC Chr.
DATE OF DEATH	between 7th century BC BC and 4th century BC Chr.

[1] Livius 5, 34 : De transitu in Italiam Gallorum haec accepimus: Prisco Tarquinio Romae regnante, Celtarum quae pars Galliae tertia est penes Bituriges summa imperii fuit; ii regem Celtico dabant. Ambicatus is fuit, uirtute fortunaque cum sua, tum publica praepollens, quod in imperio eius Gallia adeo frugum hominumque fertilis fuit ut abundans multitudo uix regi uideretur posse. Hic magno natu ipse iam exonerare praegrauante turba regnum cupiens, Bellouesum ac Segouesum sororis filios impigros iuuenes missurum se esse in quas di dedissent auguriis sedes ostendit; quantum ipsi uellent numerum hominum excirent ne qua gens arcere aduenientes posset. Tum Segoueso sortibus dati Hercynei saltus; Beloueso haud paulo laetiorem in Italiam uiam di dabant. Is quod eius ex populis abundabat, Bituriges, Aruernos, Senones, Haeduos, Ambarros, Carnutes, Aulercos exciuit. Profectus ingentibus peditum equitumque copiis in Tricastinos uenit.
("When Tarquinius Priscus ruled Rome, the Biturigen had the highest power among the Celts, who make up the third part of Gaul. They placed the king within the Celtic part of the population (the Celticum) . That was Ambicatus at that time, a very powerful man his ability and because happiness was dear to him and especially to his people, for under his rule Gaul was so rich in fruits and people that it seemed as if the great multitude could hardly be ruled because he had the kingdom from the oppressive Wishing to relieve overpopulation, but was himself already in years, he declared that he would send Bellovesus and Segovesus, his sister's sons, energetic young men, to the residences which the gods would give them by their signs.They should have a number Raising people, as many as they wanted themselves, so that no nation could fend off the arriving, and Segovesus received the Hercynians through the lots Forests; the gods gave Bellovesus the far more enjoyable route to Italy. He raised what his peoples had in excess, Biturigen, Arverner , Senonen , Haeduer , Ambarrer , Karnuten and Aulerker , set out with enormous troops of foot soldiers and riders and came into the area of the Tricastines . ")

[HB-2] Helmut Birkhan: Celts. Attempt at a complete representation of their culture. S, 85 f.

[SUR-3] Sievers / Urban / Ramsl: Lexicon of Celtic Archeology. A-K and L-Z; P. 51 f.