Eburones

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An Eburone: Monument to King Ambiorix in Tongeren
Eburonen, gold stater.

The Eburones ( lat. Eburones ) were probably a Celtic tribe , who lived in 53 and 51 BC. Was largely destroyed. Iulius Caesar counts the Eburones to the four Cisrhenan (left bank of the Rhine) Germanic tribes , but the tribal name (after Celtic eburo " yew "), the traditional names of persons and places ( Ambiorix , Atuatuca ) as well as the archaeological findings that belong to the Celtic late Latène culture is, speak for belonging to the Celts. Perhaps the Eburones were a confederation of two related tribal associations, each represented by kings. The Eburones had their own dialect and their own costume.

Localization

The area of ​​the Eburones lay between the Rhine , Meuse , Rhineland , Northern Ardennes and Eifel . The distribution area of ​​Eburon coins from the years 55/54 BC BC allows the assumption that the Eburonian area extended into the area of ​​Brussels. They were of the southern tribe living clients Treverer , but (until its defeat by Caesar 57 v. Chr.) And the west living along the Meuse River tribe of Aduatuci committed to continuous tribute and hostages.

Together with the Condrusern , Caerosern and Paemanen they formed a tribal association, which Caesar called the Germanic tribes on the left bank of the Rhine. Caesar describes the castellum Atuatuca as the center of the Eburonian tribal area, but despite numerous attempts it has not yet been possible to localize the place. In the north, the tribal area of ​​the Menapier bordered the Eburonian area.

Today's historical knowledge of the Eburones is mainly based on De bello Gallico by Gaius Iulius Caesar and on archaeological findings. Since Caesar's books are one-sidedly colored war reports, their historical truthfulness must always be questioned.

Strabo shared no earlier than 7 BC BC with the fact that the Eburonen (as well as the Menapier and Atrebaten ) live in a predominantly forest-covered area. This forest called "Arduenna" measures a total of 4,000 stadiums (around 800 km). → Ardennes

Double kingship

Caesar mentions for the year 54 BC That the Eburones were under the rule (sub imperio) of Ambiorix and Catuvolcus , evidence of a Celtic double kingship , for which Caesar used the old Roman name rex . Livy calls Ambiorix Eburonem lively . A distribution of tasks for such a dual kingship can be seen in outline. Apparently only both of them could declare war together. Caesar also indicates that each was king for half of the Eburones. The distribution of the coins attributed to the Ambiorix indicates that it was dominated in the Brussels area; Catuvolcus' territory could therefore have been in the area of ​​the Ardennes / North Eifel between the Meuse and the Rhine.

It appears to have been some kind of constitutional monarchy. Ambiorix himself characterizes it after the attack on the Roman winter camp near Atuatuca: “It was neither on his decision nor with his consent what he undertook with regard to the storming of the Roman camp; rather, he was forced to do so by his tribe. His rule was such that the people had no fewer rights against him than he had against the people. "

In the course of the war that followed, only Ambiorix emerged. Caesar outlines him as a cunning negotiator and prudent general. The second, already old King Catuvolcus only plays an independent role once. After the defeat he cursed his fellow-king as instigator of the war and poisoned himself with the "juice of the yew tree". This can be seen as an indication of a sacred role of the second (old) king. In addition, the place indicates the great cultic significance of the eponymous yew tree for the Eburones.

Ambiorix's war

The Eburones took part in 57 BC. At the war of Caesar against the Belgians, which led to a complete submission of the Belgian tribes. The Eburones were led by two kings, Ambiorix and Catuvolcus during this period . In the fall of 54 BC Caesar placed a legion and 5 cohorts (= 15 cohorts) under the command of the legates Quintus Titurius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculeius Cotta in their winter camp near Atuatuca , the fortified place in the middle of the Eburones region. The pictorial representation of an Eburonian coin is said to have served specifically to prepare for the Ambiorix uprising, based on the coin motifs of the Ubier on the right bank of the Rhine .

After supply shortages and hunger were feared due to a bad harvest, the Eburones attacked in mid-November 54 BC. The winter camp. The Romans were deceived by a ruse by Ambiorix, fled their camp and were completely wiped out on the march in a long valley - similar to the Varus Battle 60 years later. Around 10,000 Roman legionaries fell, around a fifth of the Roman units stationed in Gaul . Ambiorix won the Aduatuk and Nervier as well as the Germanic tribes on the right bank of the Rhine for another attack on another winter camp in the Nervier area - perhaps near Brussels - which was under the command of Quintus Tullius Cicero . Cicero narrowly escaped defeat through Caesar's intervention. The Eburones and the Nervians, Menapians and Aduatukers allied with them were destroyed by Caesar or fled.

Alleged extermination of the Eburones

In the years 53 and 51 BC Caesar devastated the entire area of ​​the Eburones in several brutal campaigns of revenge, which he also released for complete sacking by all surrounding tribes. The inhabitants were slaughtered, the farms were cremated and the cattle driven away. King Catuvolcus died by suicide (53 BC), King Ambiorix barely managed to escape across the Rhine to the Germanic tribes. Nothing is known about his further fate. Archaeologically it can be said for the time around 50 BC. BC in Eburonian settlements actually often recognize a demolition of the settlement.

The news that the Eburones were being plundered came in 53 BC. Until beyond the Rhine. Whereupon the Sugambres crossed the Rhine with ships and rafts. During their raid they reached Aduatuca , where the entire train of all Roman legions was stored. If Caesar had not returned in time, the Romans would have almost suffered a second defeat at Aduatuca by the Sugambres.

After the destruction of the Eburones tribal alliance by the Romans Ubii the settled in the eastern settlement area and in the western area tungri down the city Tongeren its name. However, the tribe does not appear to have been completely destroyed by Caesar. Strabo knows the Eburones in his Geographia , the earliest 7 BC. Was written down as a pacified and subjugated tribe, without knowing of its destruction.

Main source

Other ancient sources

  • Cassius Dio: Historiarum Romanarum, XL 5, 6, 9
  • Florus: Epitoma de Tito Livio bellorum omnium annorum, VII Bellum Gallicum, XLV
  • Livy: From Urbe Condita, liber CVI (Periocha)
  • Strabo: Geographia, Book IV, Chap. III, 5

literature

  • Miriam Jolien Blümel: The Eburones - What happened to a prehistoric people in the Rhineland? Master's thesis Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn 2008.
  • Johannes Heinrichs : On the involvement of ubic groups in the Ambiorix uprising d. J. 54 BC - Eburonian and Ubian coins in hoard Fraire-2 In: Zeitschrift für Papyrologie und Epigraphik, 127 (1999), pp. 275–293, esp. Appendix 1: Political organization and territory of the Eburones (pp. 289–290).
  • Joachim Dalfen : The ascension command of Q. Titurius Sabinus. In: Dissertatiunculae criticae. Edited by Christian-Friedrich Collatz u. a., Würzburg 1998.
  • Hartmut Galsterer : Romanization on the Lower Rhine in the early Imperial Era. In: Thomas Grünewald (Ed.): Germania inferior, Berlin 2001, p. 1. (RGA supplementary volume 28)
  • Tilmann Bechert : Economy and society in the province of Germania inferior. In: Thomas Grünewald (Ed.): Germania inferior, Berlin 2001, p. 19. (RGA supplementary volume 28)
  • Johannes Krudewig: Our closer home from primeval times to the end of Roman rule. Euskirchen 1921
  • Hans-Eckart Joachim : The Eburonen - historical and archaeological. in: Jülich: City - Territory - History. Ed. Guido v. Büren and Erwin Fuchs. Jülich history sheets, vol. 67/68, 1999/2000
  • Günter Neumann :  Eburonen. In: Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde (RGA). 2nd Edition. Volume 6, Walter de Gruyter, Berlin / New York 1986, ISBN 3-11-010468-7 , pp. 348-350.

Web links

Remarks

  1. ↑ coin finds of Fraire-2 (Heinrichs, tangle) and Heer (Belgium, 2000)
  2. ↑ Cassio Dio XL 9
  3. ↑ Heinrichs, Verwickel, p. 289
  4. ↑ b. Gall. V, 27
  5. ↑ b. Gall. II 4
  6. ↑ b. Gall. VI, 32
  7. ↑ b. Gall. VI 5
  8. ↑ Geographia, IV, chap. III, 5
  9. ↑ b. Gall. V 24
  10. ↑ b. Gall. VI 31
  11. ↑ per. CVI
  12. ↑ b. Gall. VI, 31: rex dimidiae partis Eburonum
  13. ↑ Heinrichs, Verwickel, p. 289
  14. ↑ De bello Gallico V, 27.3: non minus haberet iuris in se multitudo quam ipse in multitudinem.
  15. ↑ b. Gall. V 27-38
  16. ↑ b. Gall. VI 31: omnibus precibus detestatus Ambiorigem, qui eius consilii auctor fuisset, taxo ... se exanimavit .
  17. ↑ Eburonischer Goldstater Sch 31 I, Heinrichs, Verwickung, p. 281ff. with fig.
  18. ↑ b. Gall. V 24-42
  19. ↑ Heinrichs, Verwickung , assumes that ubic groups hostile to Rome are taking part (esp.
  20. ↑ b. Gall. Vl 29-44 and VIII 24
  21. ↑ z. B. the Celtic settlements of Niederzier or Euskirchen-Kreuzweingarten
  22. ^ C. Julius Caesar: De bello Gallico . 6, 35/42.