Allobroges
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The Allobroges (sometimes spelt as allobrogs) were a warlike Celtic tribe in Gaul located between the Rhône River and the Lake of Geneva in what later became Savoy, Dauphiné, and Vivarais. Their cities were in areas of modern-day Lyon, Saint-Etienne and Grenoble and the modern departement of Isère and in the modern Switzerland. Their capital was today's Vienne.
First recorded reference to Allobroges is from Greek historian Polybius in 150-130 BC. He tells how they unsuccessfully resisted Hannibal when he crossed the Alps in 218 BC.
Relations with Romans
Allobroges were famous for their warriors, wealth and import of wheat. They controlled most of the Rhone river valley and various important mountain passes to Italy, e.g. Via Agrippa.In 123 BC Allobroges gave shelter to king Tuto-Motulus of the Salluvii tribe Rome had conquered and refused to hand him over. Rome declared war and moved against them. In August 8, 121 BC legions of Quintus Fabius Maximus defeated them and forced them to submit; Maximus earned a moniker Allobrogicus for this feat. In 63 BC, when Catiline invited the Allobroges to join his conspiracy, they refused his offer and exposed the plot. Representatives of the Allobroges were in Rome discussing conditions relating to their own debt issues. In 65 BC chief Catugnatus revolted but Gaius Pomptinus defeated them at Solonium. Allobrogian warriors joined Julius Caesar during his conquest of Gaul. Emperor Augustus placed Allobroges in the region of Gallia Narbonensis and later Gallia Viennensis. Under the Roman Empire Vienne grew and in 100 AD Tacitus described it as "historic and imposing". Archaeological excavations have revealed extensive warehouses. They collected toll from traffic passing up Via Agrippa and various other Roman roads.
Religion
It is noteworthy first of all which deities are not represented. From the "Palace of Mirrors" baths at Saint-Romain-en-Gal, across the river from the modern town of Vienna, but part of ancient Vienne, comes a statue of the tutelary goddess of Vienne. North-East of Vienne, north of modern Grenoble, is a major healing sanctuary at the moren town of Aix-les-Bains (the name indicates that this function continued for some time). This was dedicated to a southern Gaulish healing god Barvos, and not to Apollo as might have been expected of such a Romanised people.See also
References
- [Allobroges and Hannibal]
- Initial material derived from the public domain Lempriere's Dictionary of 1824.
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