Lexovii

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

The Lexovii (

Roman period
.

Name

They are mentioned as Lexovii (var. Lexobii) and Lexovios by Caesar (mid-1st c. BC),[1] Lēxobíous (Ληξοβίους) and Lēxooúioi (Ληξοούιοι) by Strabo (early 1st c. AD),[2] Lexovios (var. lexobios, lixouios) by Pliny (1st c. AD),[3] and as Lēxoubíōn (Ληξουβίων; var. Λειξουβίων) and Lēxoúbioi (Ληξούβιοι; var. Λιξούβιοι) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD).[4][5]

The ethnic name Lexovii is a latinized form of the

exonym, meaning that it was given by outsiders to this tribe.[6][7]

The city of Lisieux, attested ca. 400 AD as civitas Lexoviorum ('civitas of the Lexovii', Loxovias in 614, Lisiue in 1024), and the region of Lieuvin, attested in the 6th c. as Luxoviensis (pagus Lisvinus in 802, Liévin in 1155), are named after the Gallic tribe.[8]

Geography

At the time of the Gallic Wars (58–50 BC), the Lexovii were part of the civitates Aremoricae.[9]

Their chief town was Noviomagus (modern Lisieux).[9]

History

When the

Curiosolites, and Lexovii, to prevent their joining the Veneti. A few days after Sabinus reached the country of the Unelli, the Aulerci Eburovices and the Lexovii murdered their council or senate, as Caesar calls it, because they were against the war; and they joined Viridovix
, the chief of the Unelli. The Gallic confederates were defeated by Sabinus, and compelled to surrender. (B. G. iii. 17–19.) The Lexovii took part in the great rising of the Galli against Caesar (52 BC); but their force was only 3000 men. (B. G. vii. 75.)

Religion

In Berthouville were found three coins engraved with the name of a Gallo-Roman god Mercurius Canatonnessis (Mercurio Kanetonnessi, M[ercurio] C[anetonnessi], Merc[urio] Can[e]t[onnessi]).[10]

At the border of the civitas of the Lexovii and Viducasses, in Jort (ancient *Divo-ritum, named after the *Diva river), was found a bronze stylus found carved with the name of the Celtic god Toutatis (Toutati).[11]

References

  1. ^ Caesar. Commentarii de Bello Gallico, 3:9, 3:11, 3:17, 3:28, 7:75.
  2. ^ Strabo. Geōgraphiká, 4:1:14, 4:3:5.
  3. ^ Pliny. Naturalis Historia, 4:107
  4. ^ Ptolemy. Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis, 2:8:2; 2:8:5
  5. ^ Falileyev 2010, s.v. Lexovii.
  6. ^ Delamarre 2003, p. 201.
  7. ^ Lambert 2005, p. 227.
  8. ^ Nègre 1990, p. 154.
  9. ^ a b Lafond 2006.
  10. ^ Lajoye 2013, p. 45.
  11. ^ Lajoye & Lemaître 2014, pp. 21–22.

Bibliography