European Kingdoms

Catubrini (Gauls)

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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, there existed a cluster of Celtic tribes along the eastern edges of the Alpine region of what is now eastern Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and western Austria (see map link for all tribal locations). This included the Catubrini, a minor tribe which was located in north-eastern Italy, close to the Austrian border and perhaps centred on Belodunum or Bellunum (the modern town of Belluno).

The tribe was neighboured to the north by tribes of the Raeti such as the Brixenetes and by tribes of the Noricum such as the Saevates, to the north-east by the Ambidravi and Ambilici, to the east by the Carni and - possibly - the Agones, to the south by the Misquilenses, and to the south and west by more Euganei and further tribes of the Raeti such as the Isarci.

The Catubrini tribal name seems to be a simple one to break down. Removing the plural suffix, '-i' leaves two parts, 'catu' and 'brin'. The first part is simple. It means 'battle'. The Catalauni used the same word in their name. The second part is most likely the proto-Celtic *brendo-, meaning 'hill' ('bryn' in modern Welsh). The tribe were probably 'battle hill', which speaks for itself, either with the tribe being the hill's defenders or its attackers, most likely the latter. Perhaps that's how they conquered their new home in Italy.

Amusingly, when they reached western Somerset in Britain the West Seaxe conquerors asked the Celtic natives for the name of a range of hills. They were given the Brythonic word for hill, 'brendo', to which these Germanics added their own word, 'hill' - effectively the 'Hill Hills' in two languages. The area became the Brendon Hills of Somerset.

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(Information by Peter Kessler, Edward Dawson, & Trish Wilson, with additional information from The La Tene Celtic Belgae Tribes in England: Y-Chromosome Haplogroup R-U152 - Hypothesis C, David K Faux, 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 Harleian Miscellany: A Collection of Scarce, Curious and Entertaining Tracts Volume 4, William Oldys & Thomas Park, from The Celtic Encyclopaedia, Harry Mountain, from The History of Rome, Volume 1, Titus Livius (translated by Rev Canon Roberts), from Les peuples préromains du Sud-Est de la Gaule: Étude de géographie historique, Guy Barruol (De Boccard, 1999), from Encyclopaedia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, Cambridge (England), 1910), from Encyclopaedia of the Roman Empire, Matthew Bunson (1994), and from External Links: Jones' Celtic Encyclopaedia, and The Works of Julius Caesar: Gallic Wars, and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed), and On the Celtic Tribe of Taurisci, Mitka Guštin, 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), and Pieve di Cadore.)

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.

The origins of the Euganei, Ligurians, Raeti, Veneti, and Vindelici are confused and unclear, but in the last half of the first millennium BC they were gradually being Celticised or were combining multiple influences to create hybrid tribes (click or tap on map to view full sized)

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, probably as a result of the same apparent overpopulation in southern Germany which doubtless forces the start of migration into Iberia around a century earlier.

The Celtic advance into the Po Valley also forces the Raeti to relocate into the Alps (according to Pliny the Elder). Unfortunately for the Euganei they now lose Verona to the far bigger and more technologically advanced Cenomani.

This would seem to make it possible for the Catubrini to arrive as they also later occupy Euganei territory. The 'lost' Euganei presence is confirmed by archaeology which uncovers votive offerings in Lagola. This location of notable archaeological interest is downstream from Calalzo di Cadore, part of the commune of Cadore.

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

183 BC

Somewhat alarmed at the sudden arrival of such a large body of Celts in the form of the Carni (to the immediate east of the Catubrini), Rome sends a force under triumvirs Publius Scipio Nasica, Caius Flaminius, and Lucius Manlius Acidinus.

The Carni are forced back into the mountains, their settlement is destroyed, and a defensive Roman settlement is founded at the north-eastern border of Roman influence. The Carni spend subsequent years attempting to form alliances with the Histri, Iapydes, and Taurisci so that they might regain their prize.

As a result there is probably skirmishing between the Carni and Rome along the frontier, but no further major clashes until 115 BC. All this disturbance happens along the Catubrini border, but they are not mentioned as being involved.

The modern southern Austrian region of Carinthia on the upper eastern edge of Catubrini territory marked the edge of the Adriatic hinterland which was first occupied by Celts towards the end of the fourth century BC

115 BC

During the year of his consulship in Rome, Marcus Aemilianus Scaurus succeeds in defeating the Carni and probably also the Taurisci. Cicero mentions this briefly in his Orations, but provides no additional depth.

It seems that this final defeat of the Carni has been driven by their continued wish to settle the Veneti plains and Rome's equally strong desire to keep the rich, fertile plains for itself. Now the Carni, accepting their defeat, appear to submit to Rome.

25 - 15 BC

Augustus determines that the Alpine tribes need to be pacified in order to end their warlike behaviour, alternately attacking or extracting money from Romans who pass through the region, even when they have armies in tow.

He wages a steady, determined campaign against them during the Alpine Wars, and in a period of ten years he 'pacifies the Alps all the way from the Adriatic to the Tyrrhenian seas' (written by Augustus himself).

The Tropaeum Alpium ('Trophy of the Alps') stands majestically in the commune of La Turbie on the French Riviera, overlooking the principality of Monaco, and marking the final victory over the Alpine tribes by Augustus

The Ambisontes are included in this defeat after throwing in their lot with the Raeti and Vindelici, so the Ambidravi may also be associated with this defeat. Given the fact that the Catubrini lie between Italy and these two tribes, they should also be included, although the nearby Alauni remain peaceful. Following this, the history of the Alpine region's population of Celts is tied to that of the empire.

2nd century AD

The Catubrini have been mastered by Rome, probably since the very end of the first century BC. But Roman troops only arrive in what is now the city of Pieve di Cadore in this century, setting up a garrison.

On Montericco a temple is also consecrated, to Mars which, with the arrival of the Roman Church, is rebuilt as a church dedicated to St Peter the Apostle, Archaeologists later discover the remains of a Roman house of this period beneath the modern town hall of Pieve di Cadore.

The impressive, immaculately-restored triumphal Arch of Augustus sits just outside the centre of the modern town of Susa, a town which has its origins in the Segusini tribal oppidum of Segusio