Theodor Mommsen - The history of Rome. Book V

10.V. IV. Cyprus Annexed.

11.IV. VI. Violent Proceedings in the Voting.

12.V. IV. Cyprus Annexed.

1.IV. I. The Callaeci Conquered.

2.IV. IX. Spain.

3.V. I. Renewed Outbreak of the Spanish Insurrection.

4.V. I. Pompeius in Gaul.

5.V. I. Indefinite and Perilous Character of the Sertorian War.

6.V. V. Conviction and Arrest of the Conspirators in the Capital.

7.V. I. Pompeius Puts and End to the Insurrection.

8.IV. II. Scipio Aemilianus.

9.There was found, for instance, at Vaison in the Vocontian canton an inscription written in the Celtic language with the ordinary Greek alphabet. It runs thus: segouaros ouilloneos tooutious namausatis eiorou beileisamisosin nemeiton . The last word means "holy".

10.An immigration of Belgic Celts to Britain continuing for a considerable time seems indicated by the names of English tribes on both banks of the Thames borrowed from Belgic cantons; such as the Atrebates, the Belgae, and even the Britanni themselves, which word appears to have been transferred from the Brittones settled on the Somme below Amiens first to an English canton and then to the whole island. The English gold coinage was also derived from the Belgic and originally identical with it.

11.The first levy of the Belgic cantons exclusive of the Remi, that is, of the country between the Seine and the Scheldt and eastward as far as the vicinity of Rheims and Andernach, from 9000 to 10,000 square miles, is reckoned at about 300,000 men; in accordance with which, if we regard the proportion of the first levy to the whole men capable of bearing arms specified for the Bellovaci as holding good generally, the number of the Belgae capable of bearing arms would amount to 500,000 and the whole population accordingly to at least 2,000,000. The Helvetii with the adjoining peoples numbered before their migration 336,000; if we assume that they were at that time already dislodged from the right bank of the Rhine, their territory may be estimated at nearly 1350 square miles. Whether the serfs are included in this, we can the less determine, as we do not know the form which slavery assumed amongst the Celts; what Caesar relates (i. 4) as to the slaves, clients, and debtors of Orgetorix tells rather in favour of, than against, their being included.

That, moreover, every such attempt to make up by combinations for the statistical basis, in which ancient history is especially deficient, must be received with due caution, will be at once apprehended by the intelligent reader, while he will not absolutely reject it on that account.

12."In the interior of Transalpine Gaul on the Rhine", says Scrofa in Varro, De R. R. i. 7, 8, "when I commanded there, I traversed some districts, where neither the vine nor the olive nor the fruit-tree appears, where they manure the fields with white Pit-chalk, where they have neither rock - nor sea-salt, but make use of the saline ashes of certain burnt wood instead of salt". This description refers probably to the period before Caesar and to the eastern districts of the old province, such as the country of the Allobroges; subsequently Pliny (H. N. xvii. 6, 42 seq.) describes at length the Gallo-Britannic manuring with marl.

13."The Gallic oxen especially are of good repute in Italy, for field labour forsooth; whereas the Ligurian are good for nothing". (Varro, De R. R. ii. 5, 9). Here, no doubt, Cisalpine Gaul is referred to, but the cattle-husbandry there doubtless goes back to the Celtic epoch. Plautus already mentions the "Gallic ponie", ( Gallici canterii , Aul. iii. 5. 21). "It is not every race that is suited for the business of herdsmen; neither the Bastulians nor the Turdulian", (both in Andalusia) "are fit for it; the Celts are the best, especially as respects beasts for riding and burden ( iumenta) ", (Varro, De R. R. ii. 10, 4).

14.We are led to this conclusion by the designation of the trading or "roun" as contrasted with the "lon" or war vessel, and the similar contrast of the "oared ship", ( epikopoi veies ) and the "merchantme", ( olkades , Dionys. iii. 44); and moreover by the smallness of the crew in the trading vessels, which in the very largest amounted to not more than 200 men (Rhein. Mus. N. F. xi. 625), while in the ordinary galley of three decks there were employed 170 rowers (III. II. The Romans Build A Fleet). Comp. Movers, Phoen. ii. 3, 167 seq.

15.IV. V. Transalpine Relations of Rome.

16.IV. V. Defeat of Longinus.

17.IV. V. Transalpine Relations of Rome.

18.This remarkable word must have been in use as early as the sixth century of Rome among the Celts in the valley of the Po; for Ennius is already acquainted with it, and it can only have reached the Italians at so early a period from that quarter. It is not merely Celtic, however, but also German, the root of our "Amt", as indeed the retainer-system itself is common to the Celts and the Germans. It would be of great historical importance to ascertain whether the word - and so also the thing - came to the Celts from the Germans, or to the Germans from the Celts. If, as is usually supposed, the word is originally German and primarily signified the servant standing in battle "against the bac", ( and = against, bak = back) of his master, this is not wholly irreconcileable with the singularly early occurrence of this word among the Celts. According to all analogy the right to keep ambacti , that is, doouloi misthotoi , cannot have belonged to the Celtic nobility from the outset, but must only have developed itself gradually in antagonism to the older monarchy and to the equality of the free commons. If thus the system of ambacti among the Celts was not an ancient and national, but a comparatively recent institution, it is - looking to the relation which had subsisted for centuries between the Celts and Germans, and which is to be explained farther on - not merely possible but even probable that the Celts, in Italy as in Gaul, employed Germans chiefly as those hired servants-at-arms. The "Swiss guard", would therefore in that case be some thousands of years older than people suppose. Should the term by which the Romans, perhaps after the example of the Celts, designate the Germans as a nation-the name Germani - be really of Celtic origin, this obviously accords very well with that hypothesis. - No doubt these assumptions must necessarily give way, should the word ambactus be explained in a satisfactory way from a Celtic root; as in fact Zeuss (Gramm. p. 796), though doubtfully, traces it to ambi = around and aig = agere , viz. one moving round or moved round, and so attendants, servants. The circumstance that the word occurs also as a Celtic proper name (Zeuss, p. 77), and is perhaps preserved in the Cambrian amaeth = peasant, labourer (Zeuss, p. 156), cannot decide the point either way,

19.From the Celtic words guerg = worker and breth = judgment.

20.IV. V. Transalpine Relations of Rome.

21.The position which such a federal general occupied with reference to his troops, is shown by the accusation of high treason raised against Vercingetorix (Caesar, B. G. vii. 20).

22.IV. V. The Cimbri.

23.II. IV. The Celts Assail the Etruscans in Northern Italy.