European Kingdoms

Petrocorii (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 (see feature link for a discussion of the origins of the Celtic name).

By the middle of the first century BC, the minor Petrocorii tribe was located along the northern bank of the Garunna (the River Garonne) in south-western Gaul. They were neighboured to the north-west by the Santones, to the north-east by the Lemovices, to the east by the Cadurci, to the south by the Nitiobroges, and to the west by the Biturices.

The tribe's name seems to be relatively simple to break down. With the plural suffix removed it can be formed into two parts, perhaps as 'petro', meaning 'four', and 'cor', meaning 'a quarter', which would make them 'the four quarters', ie. their territory was formed from four parts.

The difficulty is 'cor', which could be several different things. Modern Welsh still has 'cwr' [cyrrau, m.] (n.), meaning 'edge, border, quarter, skirt, margin (edge)'. 'Cwr' is the edge which forms the outer limit of an area (a 'quarter'), or a quarter which forms a corner. However, 'cor' may have another origin such as the proto-Celtic: *korbo-, meaning 'wagon', or *kordā-, meaning 'band, host, family', or *korjo-, meaning 'army'. The only part which is certain is the first element, 'four'. The tribe was the 'four [something]'.

The Petrocorii occupied territory which likely matches the modern département of the Dordogne. They were known to dwell in the region between the rivers Dordogne and Vézère. Their original oppidum was at La Boissière, in the Dordogne region but, following the Roman subjugation of Gaul, they moved to Vesonna or Vesuna (modern Périgeux, which itself is a rendition of Petrocorii).

The Petrocorii acceptance of Roman authority does not appear to have been especially resisted, and they may have welcomed the safety and peace which Rome offered the more minor tribes.

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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 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), from Geography, Ptolemy, from the Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, William Smith, from The History of Rome, Volume 1, Titus Livius, translated by Rev Canon Roberts, from Celts and the Classical World, David Rankin, from the Encyclopaedia of European Peoples, Carl Waldman & Catherine Mason, from Caesar's Conquest of Gaul, TR Holmes, from The Celtic Encyclopaedia, Harry Mountain, from Encyclopaedia of the Roman Empire, Matthew Bunson (1994), and from External Links: The Works of Julius Caesar: Gallic Wars, and Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online Edition), and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed), and Perseus Digital Library, and the Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, J Pokorny, 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).)

c.200 BC

The Petrocorii migrate into the Dordogne region from the north, founding an encampment at La Boissière. The Celtic Encyclopaedia conflicts with this settlement date, stating that the sixth century BC is when the tribe arrives. This is also feasible as Gaul seems to have experience a degree of population shift in that century, notably amongst the Bituriges.

The River Vézère in France probably formed one of the territorial borders of the Petrocorii tribe following their arrival in the region

c.60 - 56 BC

Following the Roman invasion of Gaul under the leadership of Julius Caesar, the tribe leaves its encampment to move to a new one on the plain of L'Isle, creating the town of Vesonna (modern Périgeux). This is the location of a curative spring which is associated with Telo, the goddess of health. She is sometimes associated with another goddess named Stanna.

56 BC

When war flares up again in Gaul, triggered by Publius Licinius Crassus and the Seventh Legion in the territory of the Andes, Caesar has to turn back from his journey to Illyrium to handle the problem. Crassus is sent to Aquitania to subdue the tribes there and prevent an all-out war against stretched Roman troops. The Cantabri send assistance to the Aquitani.

Subduing the Petrocorii along the way, Crassus enters the territory of the Sotiates and barely defeats them in a campaign which will lead to the fall of all of Aquitania.

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)

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. His cavalry subsequently routed in battle, he withdraws in good order to Alesia, a major fort which belongs to the Mandubii. The remaining cavalry are dispatched back to their tribes to bring reinforcements. Caesar begins a siege of Alesia, aiming on starving out the inhabitants.

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. Amongst those demanded from the tribes of Gaul are five thousand men each from the Ambiani, Mediomatrici, Morini, Nervii, Nitiobroges, Petrocorii, and Suessiones.

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

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.

The Petrocorii seem to settle relatively easily under Roman administration. As an agrarian people, their efforts produce a fairly prosperous and peaceful town and economy.

The Vercingetorix monument was created by the sculptor, Aimé Millet, and was installed in 1865 on Mont Auxois in France

late 2nd cent AD

The town of Vesonna has gradually been embellished with amphitheatres, baths, temples, and a forum, and now it is surrounded by ramparts. To match its newfound grandiosity it is renamed Civitas Petrocoriorum. This becomes Petrocorios, and later the modern Périgeux in France.