European Kingdoms

Bituriges (Hallstatt Celts)

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In general terms, the Romans coined the name 'Gaul' to describe the Celtic tribes of what is now central, northern, and eastern France. The Gauls were divided from the Belgae to the north by the Marne and the Seine, and from the Aquitani to the south by the River Garonne, while also extending into Switzerland, northern Italy, and along the Danube (see feature link for a discussion of the origins of the Celtic name).

The Bituriges tribe of Hallstatt Celts was located to the north of the Alps, in what became Gaul. By the start of the sixth century BC they apparently occupied territory to the west of the Rhine. Although the extent of their territory is unknown it clearly formed part of a very powerful and very extensive Celtic kingdom, one which apparently dominated many of the other Celts and may even have held some kind of high kingship over them.

The tribe must have been vast by later first century BC terms. Livy describes it as being over-populated around the start of the sixth century BC, so that it divided into three, sending offshoots towards the east of the Rhine and into Italy. Another tribal split (or perhaps part of the same one) happened as much as a century later, which created the Bituriges Cubi and Biturices Vivisci.

The Bituriges tribal name breaks down as *bitu- and *rīg-. The proto-Celtic dictionary gives 'bitu' as 'world' but, upon taking a closer look, it can be seen that it is closer to the Latin 'vita'. Cross-checking the proto-Indo-European root shows all the cognates, some of which also use that sequence.

So while the conventional meaning of 'bitu' is listed as 'world', it actually appears to mean 'life', cognate with the Latin 'vita', the Lithuanian 'gyvata' and Old Irish 'bethu', all meaning 'life', not 'world'. The Old Irish version is the particular give-away for this.

The second part of the name, *rīg-, means 'king' ('rik' or 'rix' are variations on 'rīg'), so the tribe's name did not mean the typically-quoted (and arrogant-sounding) 'kings of the world', it meant 'kings of life'. The name may be related to the tribe's prominent links with druidism and its political influence which was so heavily targeted by Julius Caesar. The Novantae people of the north of Britain were named in a fairly similar fashion.

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(Information by Peter Kessler and Edward Dawson, with additional information from The La Tene Celtic Belgae Tribes in England: Y-Chromosome Haplogroup R-U152 - Hypothesis C, David K Faux, from The History of Rome, Volume 1, Titus Livius, translated by Rev Canon Roberts, from A Genetic Signal of Central European Celtic Ancestry, David K Faux, from Celts and the Classical World, David Rankin, from The Civilisation of the East, Fritz Hommel (Translated by J H Loewe, Elibron Classic Series, 2005), from Europe Before History, Kristian Kristiansen, from Geography, Ptolemy, from the Encyclopaedia of European Peoples, Carl Waldman & Catherine Mason, from Caesar's Conquest of Gaul, TR Holmes, from Roman History, Cassius Dio, from Geography, Strabo, translated by H C Hamilton Esq & W Falconer, M A, Ed (George Bell & Sons, London, 1903), from The Celtic Encyclopaedia, Harry Mountain, from Research into the Physical History of Mankind, James Cowles Pritchard, from Encyclopaedia of the Roman Empire, Matthew Bunson (1994), and from External Links: The Works of Julius Caesar: Gallic Wars, the Perseus Digital Library, and Livy's History of Rome Book 5, and the Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, J Pokorny, and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed), and Jones' Celtic Encyclopaedia, and L'Arbre Celtique (The Celtic Tree, in French), and Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz or Dictionnaire Historique de la Suisse or Dizionario Storico dell Svizzera (in German, French, and Italian respectively).)

fl c.600 BC

Powerful ruler of the unified Bituriges. Possible high king of Celts.

c.600 BC

The first century BC writer, Livy (Titus Livius Patavinus), writes of an invasion into Italy of Celts during the reign of Lucius Tarquinius Priscus, king of Rome. As archaeology seems to point to a start date of around 500 BC for the beginning of a serious wave of Celtic incursions into Italy, this event has either been misremembered by later Romans or is an early precursor to the main wave of incursions.

An idealised illustration of Gauls on an expedition, from A Popular History of France From The Earliest Times Volume I by Francois Pierre Guillaume Guizot

Livy writes that two centuries before major Celtic attacks take place against Etruscans and Romans in Italy, a first wave of invaders from Gaul fights many battles against the Etruscans who dwell between the Apennines and the Alpine region.

At this time, the Bituriges are the supreme power amongst the Celts (who already occupy a third of the whole of Gaul). They would be a prime example of the new-found dominance of the Hallstatt D tribes of southern Germany, Switzerland, and eastern France, replacing the wealthy Hallstatt C peoples as top dogs.

Livy understands that this particular tribe had formerly supplied the king for the whole Celtic race, either suggesting a previously more central governance of the Celts which is now beginning to fragment or the typical assumption that one powerful king rules an entire people.

The prosperous and courageous, but now-elderly Ambigatus is ruler of the Bituriges, and over-population means a division of its number is required. Ambigatus sends his sister's sons, Bellovesus and Segovesus, to settle new lands with enough men behind them to put down any opposition.

A royal tomb at Magdalenenberg was hiding just a short distance from Heuneburg, a settlement in southern Germany which was held by a Celtic prince of the Hallstatt culture during the late seventh century BC

Following divination by the druids, Segovesus heads into the Hercynian Forest, on the east bank of the Rhine (this forms the northern border of lands which were known to the ancient writers of the Mediterranean, and the modern Black Forest forms its western part). He ends up leading his groups into Carinthia (now in southern Austria) to found the Ambisontes and Ambidravi tribes.

Bellovesus heads towards Italy, inviting fellow settlers to join him from six tribes, the Aeduii, Ambarri, Arverni, Aulerci, Bituriges, Carnutes, and Senones. The body of people led by Bellovesus himself apparently consists mainly of Insubres, a canton (or sub-division) of the Aeduii.

fl c.600 BC

Nephew. Settled areas of northern Italy.

fl c.600 BC

Brother. Settled the Hercynian Forest east of the Rhine.

c.600 BC

Bellovesus reaches the barrier of the Alps with an enormous force of horse and foot. This barrier is one which has apparently not previously been breached by Celts, but they are also deterred by a sense of religious obligation, triggered by news reaching them that another group looking for territory, a force of Massalians, is under attack by the Salyes.

This map shows not only the greatest extent of Etruscan influence in Italy, during the seventh to fifth centuries BC, but also Gaulish intrusion to the north, which compressed Etruscan borders there (click or tap on map to view on a separate page)

Seeing this as an omen of their own fortunes, the Celts briefly and successfully go to the assistance of the Massalians to help them secure their position.

After crossing the Alps by the passes of the Taurini and the valley of the Douro, they defeat Etruscans in battle not far from the Ticinus. Bellovesus and his mainly Insubres people settle around the Ticinus and build a settlement called Mediolanum (modern Milan).

474 BC

It seems that the Celtic arrival in northern Italy has not been entirely welcomed. Etruscans, who themselves have been migrating northwards to the River Po from central Italy, have been clashing increasingly with the Celts for domination of the region.

A pivotal showdown takes place at the Battle of Ticinum in this year (which must be located close to the main Celtic settlement of Mediolanum which had been founded by the Bituriges and Insubres of Bellovesus around a century before). The Etruscan force, which is little more than a well-armed militia, is butchered by the Celts in a ferociously fought battle.

An Etruscan sarcophagus of a man and his wife from the city of Caisra (modern Cerveteri), which was one of the older cities, having been formed in the late ninth century BC by a melding together of clusters of Villanovan villages

474 BC

It seems that the Celtic arrival in northern Italy has not been entirely welcomed. Etruscans, who themselves have been migrating northwards to the River Po from central Italy, have been clashing increasingly with the Celts for domination of the region.

A pivotal showdown takes place at the Battle of Ticinum in this year (which must be located close to the main Celtic settlement of Mediolanum which had been founded by the Bituriges and Insubres of Bellovesus around a century before). The Etruscan force, which is little more than a well-armed militia, is butchered by the Celts in a ferociously fought battle.

This victory confirms Celtic domination of the region for the next couple of centuries, so that it is called Gallia Cisalpina (Gaul on 'our' side of the Alps, 'ours' being the Latin and Italic side). It probably also makes it possible for Celtic elements such as the Belaci to settle the western Alps.

c.400 - 391 BC

Following the route set by Bellovesus and the Bituriges around 600 BC, other bodies of Celts have gradually invaded northern Italy, probably due to overpopulation in Gaul and the promise of fertile territory just waiting to be captured. Their arrival disturbs and greatly amends the prevailing Golasecca culture.

Objects which have been found in tombs in the Como region of Italy testify to the progressive opening up by the Golasecca people to exchanges with the transalpine world to the north and the central-Italic Etruscan area to the south

The first of them to arrive is the Cenomani, around 400 BC, followed by the Libui and Saluvii. Then the Boii and Lingones cross the Pennine Alps, with the Senones the last to arrive. The Alpine Medulli tribe may also find its home there as part of this migration.

c.400 BC?

The Bituriges have until about now formed what is probably one of the largest and most powerful tribes in Western Europe. It seems to be around this time that they divide into two groups which become the Bituriges Cubi and Biturices Vivisci (this split could also potentially be linked to the one which Livy describes around 600 BC).

The first group settles in central France while the second prefers to head for Bordeaux and the coast. The split could be caused by a difference of viewpoint between two powerful groups in the tribe, either with the druids or the warrior elite.

Either way, both groups appear to retain the parent tribe's name in varying forms and both tribes remain key centres of druidic activity until they are eventually conquered by Rome.

The Aeduii confederation is shown here, around 100 BC, with borders approximate and fairly conjectural, based on the locations of the tribes half a century later - it can be seen that the Aulerci at least migrate farther north-west during that time, although the remainder largely stay put (click or tap on map to view full sized)