European Kingdoms

Helvii / Elui (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, the Helvii or Elui were a minor confederation which was located on the west bank of the Rhône, in the modern Lozère département of south-eastern France. They are not to be confused with the Helvetii, a powerful tribe in the northern Swiss Alpine region.

The confederation was neighboured to the north by the Vellavi, to the east by the Allobroges, Segovellauni, Cavari, and Caturiges, to the south along the banks of the Rhodanus (the modern River Rhine) by the Vocontii, to the south-west by the Volcae Arecomisci, and to the west by the Ruteni.

The Helvii were a polity rather than a tribe (and certainly not a sub-tribe, according to Julius Caesar). Their name is a little tricky to break down. Those for the similarly-named Helvetii and Helveconae also use the same core word in their names, and all three are examined in greater detail in the accompanying feature (see link, right).

The reason for 'Helvii' also being shown as 'Elui' is that the 'h' was often dropped, and the 'v' would be pronounced by Romans as a 'w' or 'u'. The core 'shelwa' or 'helwa' is a Celtic word for 'hunter' and so was shared with the Helvetii. In Celtic dialects an 's' seems always to have been pronounced as an 'sh', and then the 'sh' seemingly softened to an 'h'.

Although it would seem from the above feature that the Helvii could once have been the dominant part of a greater confederation, they appear to have arrived in the Alps at least a generation earlier than the Helvetii who were forced to move by pressure from encroaching Germanic groups.

(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 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), from Geography, Ptolemy, from Roman History, Cassius Dio, from Research into the Physical History of Mankind, James Cowles Pritchard, from Geography, Strabo, translated by H C Hamilton Esq & W Falconer, M A, Ed (George Bell & Sons, London, 1903), and from External Links: Jones' Celtic Encyclopaedia, and The Works of Julius Caesar: Gallic Wars, and the Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, J Pokorny, 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).)

123 - 121 BC

The Allobroges come into direct conflict with Rome following the latter's defeat of the Salluvii. That tribe's king, Tuto-Motulus, flees northwards and seeks shelter with the Allobroges. They welcome him in, and when Rome demands that he is handed over, they refuse.

The Celtic tribes of the Western Alps were relatively small and fairly fragmented, but they made up for that with a level of belligerence and fighting ability which often stunned their major opponents, including the Romans

Having declared war, Rome sends Quintus Fabius Maximus to attack them in 121 BC. He is the son of Quintus Fabius Maximus Aemilianus, consul of 145 BC, and is consul himself during this year.

He campaigns in Gallia Transalpina (the modern Auvergne and Rhône-Alpes regions) with Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, fighting the Allobroges, Arverni, and Helvii.

They are defeated and the consul is awarded the honour of a triumph which is famous for its spectacle, with the Arverni ruler, Bituitus, being displayed in his silver battle armour. The Elisyces, Ruteni, Segovellauni, Vocontii, and Volcae Arecomisci are subjugated at the same time.

83 BC

Unlike many of their Gaulish counterparts, the Helvii seem especially to welcome Rome, forming an alliance with what most other Celts view as invaders. A leader of the polity, Caburus, is now granted Roman citizenship by Gaius Valerius Flaccus, governor of Gaul.

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)

This is an extraordinarily rare honour at this point in time, suggesting that he has rendered some unique and invaluable service to Rome, possibly during the city's civil wars of this period.

fl 83 - 52 BC

Magistrate & Roman citizen. Killed by the Gabali & Arverni?

80 - 72 BC

The Sertorian War in Iberia causes the Celts of Mediterranean Gaul to be subjected to troop levies and forced requisitions in order to support the military efforts of Metellus Pius, Pompeius, and other Roman commanders against the rebels.

However, some Celtic polities, including, remarkably, the Helvii, support Sertorius and they pay the price for their support after his assassination. The Helvii and Volcae Arecomici are forced to cede a portion of their territory to the Greek city state of Messalina. Caesar mentions this land forfeiture but does not provide any details of the Helvii actions against Rome.

The Sertorian War was fought for control of Hispania between the Roman statesman and general, Quintus Sertorius, and the regime of Sulla, dictator of the Roman republic

58 - 56 BC

Led by Caburus, the Helvii have formed an alliance with Rome. During the campaigns of Julius Caesar in Gaul, they supply auxiliaries to his forces. Caburus also supplies his sons, with Caius Valerius Donotaurus (Domnotaurus or Donnotarvos) being killed in action in 52 BC and Gaius Valerius Troucillas serving Julius Caesar as an aide-de-camp in a diplomatic capacity in 58 BC.

? - 52 BC

Son. 'Principle man of the state'. Killed in battle.

fl 58 BC

Brother. ADC on Caesar's staff in 58 BC.

52 BC

While Caesar is tied down in Rome, the Gauls begin their revolt, resolving to die in freedom rather than be suppressed by the invaders. The Carnutes take the lead under Cotuatus and Conetodunus when they kill the Roman traders who have settled in Genabum.

News of the event reaches the Arverni that morning, and Vercingetorix summons his people to arms. He sends Lucterius of the Cadurci into the territory of the Ruteni to gain their support, and marches in person to the Bituriges. Lucterius continues to the Gabali and Nitiobroges and wins their support. He collects together a large force ahead of an advance into the province of Narbonensis.

Organising the various tribes of Gaul into a unified resistance took some doing, but Vercingetorix of the Arverni appears to have held a level of authority which made him a leader not to be refused, and thousands of warriors flocked to join him

Caesar gets there first and rallies the garrisons among the Ruteni and Volcae Arecomisci, and Lucterius is forced to retreat. From there Caesar circles through the territory of the generally pro-Roman Helvii (who again provide auxiliaries) to reach that of the Arverni, despite deep winter snows in the mountains.

The Gabali and the easternmost Arverni cantons are subsequently sent to fight the Helvii, and the Cadurci and Ruteni are told to lay waste the territories of the Volcae Arecomisci. The Helvii are defeated and their leaders slain, including Caius Valerius Donotaurus, the son of Caburus (and perhaps Caburus too, as he is not mentioned again in the historical record).

The Allobroges successfully manage to defend their frontiers. Vercingetorix is eventually forced to withdraw in good order to Alesia, a major fort belonging to the Mandubii. Caesar begins a siege of the town, aiming on starving out the inhabitants.

The site of Alesia, a major fort belonging to the Mandubii tribe of Celts, was the scene of the final desperate stand-off between Rome and the Gauls in 52 BC

Four relief forces amounting to a considerable number of men and horses are assembled in the territory of the Aeduii by the council of the Gaulish nobility. Among those demanded from the tribes of Gaul are eight thousand men each from the Helvii (despite the tribe's pro-Roman standing which has perhaps been terminated by the apparent death of its long-lived leader), Parisii, Pictones, and Turones.

Together they attempt to relieve Vercingetorix at the siege of Alesia, but the combined relief force is soundly repulsed by Julius Caesar. Seeing that all is lost, Vercingetorix surrenders to Caesar. The garrison is taken prisoner, as are the survivors from the relief army.

They are either sold into slavery or given as booty to Caesar's legionaries, apart from the Aeduii and Arverni warriors who are released and pardoned in order to secure the allegiance of these important and powerful tribes.

With this action, all of Gaul has been brought under Roman domination, and the history of its population of Celts and Aquitani is tied to that of the emerging Roman empire.

Lemonum (modern Potiers) was the chief tribal settlement of the Pictones Celts in first century BC Gaul, while today's Amphoralis Museum provides a glimpse of life in pre-Roman France

40s BC

During the Roman civil wars of this decade, the Greek city state of Messalina elects to maintain its long-standing relationship with Pompeius even though it is isolated in this desire. The Celts of the Narbonensis continue to support Caesar in opposition.

As a result, the Massalians are besieged and defeated by Caesar, and they lose their independence, and possibly also the Helvii land which they had formerly been granted.