European Kingdoms

Catalauni / Catavellauni (Belgae)

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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).

By the middle of the first century BC, the minor Catavellauni tribe was located on the southern Belgae-Gaulish border, on the right bank of the Sequana (the modern River Seine). They were neighboured to the north-west by the Parisii and Suessiones, to the north-east by the Remi, to the east by the Leuci, to the south by the Tricasses, and across the Seine to the west by the Senones.

With the plural suffix removed, the tribe's 'Catavellauni' name is formed of two words, with 'cat' being the first element, which means 'battle'. The 'Catalauni' form is a mishearing or misspelling by ancient authors (and one which is perpetuated by many modern authors).

Perceived conventional wisdom in regard to the second element in Catavellauni, 'vel', is that it means 'leader', which would produce something like 'the battle leader'. A problem here is that it is in the Germanic sequence, not the Celtic. In the latter language the modifier comes after the noun. As this tribe were Velgae, this could be due to heavy contact with Germanic tribes of Scandinavia and the Northern European coast during the Iron Age, prior to this tribe's westward migration.

The Belgae appear to have been formed of tribes which were seaborne and which lived along the North Atlantic and/or Baltic coastlines. They would seem to have been a branch of Celts who had established themselves in Northern Europe, although precisely where is entirely open to speculation (not to mention some heated debate). Their dialect probably used a 'b' or a 'v' sound where their western cousins in Gaul used a 'w' sound, opening up different interpretations for their names.

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(Information by Peter Kessler and Edward Dawson, with additional information by Trish Wilson, from The Oxford History of England: Roman Britain, Peter Salway, from The La Tene Celtic Belgae Tribes in England: Y-Chromosome Haplogroup R-U152 - Hypothesis C, David K Faux, from Res Gestae, Ammianus Marcellinus, from Flavius Eutropius, 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 The History of Rome, Volume 1, Titus Livius, translated by Rev Canon Roberts, 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 Geography, Ptolemy, from Encyclopaedia of the Roman Empire, Matthew Bunson (1994), and from External Links: The Works of Julius Caesar: Gallic Wars, and Proto-Celtic Word List (PDF), and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed), and Jones' Celtic Encyclopaedia, and L'Arbre Celtique (The Celtic Tree, in French).)

57 BC

The Belgae enter into a confederacy against the Romans in fear of Rome's eventual domination over them. They are also spurred on by Gauls who are unwilling to see Germanic tribes remaining on Gaulish territory and are unhappy about Roman troops wintering in Gaul.

The Battle of the (River) Axona (the modern Aisne in north-eastern France) witnessed the beginning of the end of the Belgic confederation against Rome

The Senones are asked by Julius Caesar to gain intelligence on the intentions of the Belgae, and they report that an army is being collected. Caesar marches ahead of expectations and the Remi, on the Belgic border, instantly surrender (probably along with the Catavellauni and the Tricasses).

53 - 52 BC

The Catavellauni are not mentioned by Julius Caesar in his Gallic Wars. Despite the later importance of their Catuvellauni cousins in Britain, the continental Catavellauni appear to be relatively insignificant. They are probably lumped together with the Remi in any references which involve them, and are similarly restrained by Roman garrisons from taking part in the general Gaulish rebellion of Vercingetorix.

This vast map covers just about all possible tribes which were documented in the first centuries BC and AD, mostly by the Romans and Greeks, and with an especial focus on 52 BC (click or tap on map to view at an intermediate size)

AD 273

According to Flavius Eutropius, 'Campi Catalauni' the main town of the Catavellauni, is the scene of a battle between Rome's Emperor Aurelian and his main opponent, Esuvius Tetricus, ruler of the Imperium Galliarum. The Imperium Galliarum collapses when Aurelian defeats Tetricus, who subsequently surrenders and is permitted to pursue a useful and distinguished career in Roman life.

366/367

Another battle takes place near Châlons, probably as part of the fight against the 'Barbarian Conspiracy' of 367. Roman General Iovinus defeats a 'Germanic' army.

451

The most famous of battles takes place in the Catavellauni district. To preserve their new domains, the Visigoths and Franks fight on the side of Rome to halt the advance of the Huns at the Battle of the Catalaunian Plains. The Huns call on their subject allied tribes, which include the Gepids, Ostrogoths, Scirii, and Taifali. Rome also has units of independent Alani, Armoricans, and Taifali on its side.

Despite his great success over the barbarian tribes of eastern and Central Europe, Attila's stalemate against an allied Roman-led army in 451 was a blow to his prestige, and his death soon afterwards caused his empire to crumble