Tricastini

The Tricastini were a small Gallic tribe dwelling in the modern Tricastin region, near present-day Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, during the Iron Age and the Roman period.

The Tricastini were probably one of the most ancient Celtic tribes of

Name

Attestations

They are mentioned as Tricastinos by Livy (late 1st century BC),^[1] and as Trikastínoi (Τρικαστίνοι; var. Τρικαττίνοι, Τριστακηνοὶ, Τρικαστηνοὶ) by Ptolemy (2nd century AD).^[2][3] Their chief town is documented as Augusta Tricastinorum by Pliny (1st century AD).^[4][3] The Tricastini were also known as Tricassis during the Roman period.^[5]

Etymology

The Celtic ethnonym Tricastini derives from the root tri- ("three"). The second element, -casti-, is an archaic form of -cassi-, which possibly means "tin, bronze" (cf. Gaul. Cassi-dannos, "magistrate in charge of bronze coins", Britt. Cassivellaunus, "Chief-of-Tin"; also Greek κασσίτερος, "tin").^[6][7] Alternatively, Tricastini may be interpreted as an older variant of Tricasses, meaning "those of the three (many) curls" or the "three-braided ones".^[8]

The city of Saint-Paul-Trois-Châteaux, attested as Augusta Tricastinorum in the 1st century AD and as Civitas Tricastinorum in the 4th century, is named after the tribe.^[9] It appears as civitate Tricastrina in 1136, and most likely evolved into Sanctum Paulum *Tricastrum during the Middle Ages,^{[note 1]} then into Sainct Pol Trois Chasteaux by 1545. The insertion of an epenthetic r that changed Tricastini to Tricastrini, a form attested by the 12th century, caused a semantic reinterpretation of the name, leading eventually to the modern French Trois-Châteaux, meaning "three-castles" (Latin Tria-Castra). The region of Tricastin, attested as Tricassinus during the Roman era, also takes its name from the tribe.^[9]

Geography

Territory

During the Roman period, the Tricastini dwelled in the modern

Some scholars have proposed that the original territory of the Tricastini was located further east of their attested homeland, in a mountainous region near the settlement of Altonum (Le Pègue). Principally occupied from the late 6th to the 3rd century BC, La Pègue represented the eastern frontier of their territory in the late 1st century BC. In this view, the Tricastini could have moved towards the Rhône valley in the 3rd–early 2nd century in search for economic opportunities.^[14]

When the colony of

During the Republican period (121–27 BC), their chief town was the oppidum of Barry (Saint-Restitut), one of the largest of southern Gaul (40ha), and possibly mentioned as Aeria by Apollodorus in the mid-2nd century BC.^[18][19] The site of Barry was located on a commercially strategic position in the Rhône Valley, a natural corridor linking the Greek colony of Massalia to northern Gaul.^[19] Other oppida are known at Saint-Saturnin (Donzère) and Moulon (Roussas).^[20] The settlement of Senomagos ("old market"), which corresponds to modern Saint-Pierre-de-Sénos (Bollène), was located at the foot of the oppidum of Barry.^[12][21]

Another town, Novem Craris (now Logis-de-Berre, in Les Granges-Gontardes), was located in the plain.^[20] It occupied an important position on the trade route of the Rhône Valley even before the Roman period. Destroyed by fire in the 3rd century AD, the settlement was rebuilt on a neighbouring site.^[22]

Roman Empire

Both Senomagos and Barry (Aeria) were likely abandoned after the foundation of Augusta Tricastinorum by the Romans in the late 1st century BC. By the first century AD, the settlement was referred to as Augusta Tricastinorum, then elevated to Colonia Flavia Tricastinorum in Flavian times.^[15]

In the 2nd century AD, Ptolemy mentioned a Noiomagos ("new market") as the capital of the Tricastini, but this is probably a confusion with modern Nyons, in Vocontian lands, which was known as Noviomagos in ancient times.^[24] Alternatively some scholars have argued that it was the name originally given to Augusta Tricastinorum. In this view, the double toponym may suggest that the settlement was originally founded during the Republican period, before it took its attested name under Augustus (27 BC–14 AD), although available archaeological evidence do not predate the late 1st century BC.^[25][26]

History

Origin

The Tricastini are mentioned by Livy in the late 1st century BC, in connection with the legendary Celtic invasion of Italy said to have been led by Bellovesus around 600 BC.^[15][27]

Whereupon to Segovesus were by lot assigned the Hercynian highlands; but to Bellovesus the gods proposed a far pleasanter road, into Italy. Taking out with him the surplus population of his tribes, the Bituriges, Arverni, Senones, Haedui, Ambarri, Carnutes, and Aulerci, he marched with vast numbers of infantry and cavalry into the country of the Tricastini.

— Livy 2019. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, 5.34.

Since the myth was probably based on historical events,

In Livy's account of Hannibal's crossing of the Alps in 218 BC, the Carthaginian general is said to have "veered to the left into the lands of the Tricastini" after setting a dispute between Allobrogian chieftains.^[32]

After settling the Allobrogian disputes Hannibal now headed for the Alps, but instead of taking the direct route he veered to the left into the lands of the Tricastini. He then advanced through the border territory of the Vocontii into the territory of the Trigorii, meeting no obstacle anywhere on his route until he reached the River Druentia.

— Livy 2019. Ab Urbe Condita Libri, 21.31.

After 121 BC, their territory was annexed by the

Citations