Centrones
Encyclopedia
The Ceutrones were a pre-Roman Celtic tribe of ancient Gaul
that controlled regions of the Graian Alps
. (Note: They should not be confused with the similarly named Centrones, a client tribe of the Nervii
of Gallia Belgica
.)
, the Ceutrones occupied most of the Tarentaise Valley
in the modern department of Savoie
, France
. Pliny the Elder
called them "borders," that is, people living on the western border of the Alps. Ptolemy
places them in the Graian Alps occupying the regions west of the Aosta Valley inhabited by the Salassi
.
The Ceutrones had a sizeable population readily willing to defend themselves, probably with well cultivated lands, according to written accounts by great armies that passed through. Polybius
describes how the Ceutrones aggressively attacked Caesar
’s army on its march through the Alps
to Lake Bourget
. The onslaught included by an assault by rolling rocks and stones in the mountainous passes, and inflicted great losses of life on the Roman
forces. Polybius also describes a meeting by envoys of the Ceutrones with Hannibal.
The Centrones are mentioned by Caesar (Commentarii de Bello Gallico
, 1.10):
A Roman inscription about the Ceutrones from Axima (Aime
) has survived.
Settlements by the tribe were identified by Ptolemy in his Geographia, and some appear on the Tabula Peutingeriana
. One of the most important cultural centers was Darantasia
, which gave the Tarentaise Valley
and region its name. Medieval clergy made this city an important religious center before the end of the first millennium
. They called it Monasterium, which became Moûtiers
, by which it is now known.
The village of Centron in Montgirod
, Savoie, likely the place known as Forum Claudii Ceutronum under the Romans, preserves the tribal name.
Several tribes were immediate neighbors of the Ceutrones and occupied territories that partly overlapped with theirs. These include:
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
that controlled regions of the Graian Alps
Graian Alps
The Graian Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in France , Italy , and Switzerland...
. (Note: They should not be confused with the similarly named Centrones, a client tribe of the Nervii
Nervii
The Nervii were an ancient Germanic tribe, and one of the most powerful Belgic tribes; living in the northeastern hinterlands of Gaul, they were known to trek long distances to engage in various wars and functions...
of Gallia Belgica
Gallia Belgica
Gallia Belgica was a Roman province located in what is now the southern part of the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, northeastern France, and western Germany. The indigenous population of Gallia Belgica, the Belgae, consisted of a mixture of Celtic and Germanic tribes...
.)
History
According to d’AnvilleJean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville
Jean Baptiste Bourguignon d'Anville , was both a geographer and cartographer who greatly improved the standards of map-making. His maps of ancient geography, characterized by careful, accurate work and based largely on original research, are especially valuable...
, the Ceutrones occupied most of the Tarentaise Valley
Tarentaise Valley
The Tarentaise Valley is a valley of the Isère River in the heart of the French Alps, located in the Savoy region of France. The valley is named for the ancient town of Darantasia, the capital of the pre-Roman Centrones tribe.-Description:...
in the modern department of Savoie
Savoie
Savoie is a French department located in the Rhône-Alpes region in the French Alps.Together with the Haute-Savoie, Savoie is one of the two departments of the historic region of Savoy that was annexed by France on June 14, 1860, following the signature of the Treaty of Turin on March 24, 1860...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. Pliny the Elder
Pliny the Elder
Gaius Plinius Secundus , better known as Pliny the Elder, was a Roman author, naturalist, and natural philosopher, as well as naval and army commander of the early Roman Empire, and personal friend of the emperor Vespasian...
called them "borders," that is, people living on the western border of the Alps. Ptolemy
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy , was a Roman citizen of Egypt who wrote in Greek. He was a mathematician, astronomer, geographer, astrologer, and poet of a single epigram in the Greek Anthology. He lived in Egypt under Roman rule, and is believed to have been born in the town of Ptolemais Hermiou in the...
places them in the Graian Alps occupying the regions west of the Aosta Valley inhabited by the Salassi
Salassi
The Salassi were an Alpine tribe whose lands lay on the Italian side of the Little St Bernard Pass across the Graian Alps to Lyons, and the Great St Bernard Pass over the Pennine Alps...
.
The Ceutrones had a sizeable population readily willing to defend themselves, probably with well cultivated lands, according to written accounts by great armies that passed through. Polybius
Polybius
Polybius , Greek ) was a Greek historian of the Hellenistic Period noted for his work, The Histories, which covered the period of 220–146 BC in detail. The work describes in part the rise of the Roman Republic and its gradual domination over Greece...
describes how the Ceutrones aggressively attacked Caesar
Julius Caesar
Gaius Julius Caesar was a Roman general and statesman and a distinguished writer of Latin prose. He played a critical role in the gradual transformation of the Roman Republic into the Roman Empire....
’s army on its march through the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
to Lake Bourget
Lac du Bourget
The lac du Bourget is a lake in the Savoie department of France. It is the largest and the deepest lake located entirely within France. The most important town on its shore is Aix-les-Bains. Chambéry, the capital of Savoie, lies about 10 km south of the lake. The lake is named after the town Le...
. The onslaught included by an assault by rolling rocks and stones in the mountainous passes, and inflicted great losses of life on the Roman
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
forces. Polybius also describes a meeting by envoys of the Ceutrones with Hannibal.
The Centrones are mentioned by Caesar (Commentarii de Bello Gallico
Commentarii de Bello Gallico
Commentarii de Bello Gallico is Julius Caesar's firsthand account of the Gallic Wars, written as a third-person narrative. In it Caesar describes the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine years he spent fighting local armies in Gaul that opposed Roman domination.The "Gaul" that Caesar...
, 1.10):
- ... Here (in the Alps) the Ceutrones and the GraioceliGraioceliThe Graioceli were an Alpine tribe whose lands lay in the upper valley of Maurienne and in the vicinity of Alpis Graia , as well as in adjoining sections of northwestern Piedmont in the Graian Alps....
and the CaturigesCaturigesThe Caturiges were a Celtic Alpine tribe in the ancient Roman province of Alpes Maritimae, at first located on the Druentia river , towards its source, west of Vapincum , but later extending into Viennensis and Narbonensis....
, having taken possession of the higher parts, attempt to obstruct the army in their march. After having routed these in several battles, he arrives in the territories of the VocontiiVocontiiThe Vocontii were a Gallic people who lived on the east bank of the Rhône.-Location:Their main towns were Lucus Augusti and Vasio , but they occupied an extensive territory stretching from Vercors in the north, the buttresses of Mont Ventoux in the south-west, Manosque in the south-east and...
in the Further Province on the seventh day from OcelumAviglianaAvigliana is a town and comune in the Province of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, with c. 11,000 inhabitants, located about 25 km west of Turin. Avigliana lies in the Susa valley, on the highway going from Turin to Frejus ....
, which is the most remote town of the Hither Province; thence he leads his army into the country of the AllobrogesAllobrogesThe Allobroges were a Celtic tribe of ancient Gaul, located between the Rhône River and the Lake of Geneva in what later became Savoy, Dauphiné, and Vivarais. Their cities were in the areas of modern-day Annecy, Chambéry and Grenoble, the modern of Isère, and modern Switzerland...
, ...
A Roman inscription about the Ceutrones from Axima (Aime
Aime
Aime is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Geography:The commune lies in the Tarentaise Valley, partly overlapping the ski resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs.-Transportation:...
) has survived.
Settlements by the tribe were identified by Ptolemy in his Geographia, and some appear on the Tabula Peutingeriana
Tabula Peutingeriana
The Tabula Peutingeriana is an itinerarium showing the cursus publicus, the road network in the Roman Empire. The original map of which this is a unique copy was last revised in the fourth or early fifth century. It covers Europe, parts of Asia and North Africa...
. One of the most important cultural centers was Darantasia
Moutiers
Moutiers and Les Moutiers is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:*Moutiers, in the Eure-et-Loir département*Moutiers, in the Ille-et-Vilaine département*Moutiers, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département...
, which gave the Tarentaise Valley
Tarentaise Valley
The Tarentaise Valley is a valley of the Isère River in the heart of the French Alps, located in the Savoy region of France. The valley is named for the ancient town of Darantasia, the capital of the pre-Roman Centrones tribe.-Description:...
and region its name. Medieval clergy made this city an important religious center before the end of the first millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
. They called it Monasterium, which became Moûtiers
Moutiers
Moutiers and Les Moutiers is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:*Moutiers, in the Eure-et-Loir département*Moutiers, in the Ille-et-Vilaine département*Moutiers, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département...
, by which it is now known.
The village of Centron in Montgirod
Montgirod
Montgirod is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France....
, Savoie, likely the place known as Forum Claudii Ceutronum under the Romans, preserves the tribal name.
Several tribes were immediate neighbors of the Ceutrones and occupied territories that partly overlapped with theirs. These include:
- the AllobrogesAllobrogesThe Allobroges were a Celtic tribe of ancient Gaul, located between the Rhône River and the Lake of Geneva in what later became Savoy, Dauphiné, and Vivarais. Their cities were in the areas of modern-day Annecy, Chambéry and Grenoble, the modern of Isère, and modern Switzerland...
, who reached into the northwest of SavoySavoySavoy is a region of France. It comprises roughly the territory of the Western Alps situated between Lake Geneva in the north and Monaco and the Mediterranean coast in the south....
(western Haute Savoie department); - the GraioceliGraioceliThe Graioceli were an Alpine tribe whose lands lay in the upper valley of Maurienne and in the vicinity of Alpis Graia , as well as in adjoining sections of northwestern Piedmont in the Graian Alps....
, in the upper valley of MaurienneMaurienneMaurienne is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.-Location:...
and in the vicinity of Alpis Graia (modern Little St Bernard PassLittle St Bernard PassThe Little St Bernard Pass is a mountain pass in the Alps on the France–Italy border. Its saddle is at 2188 metres above sea level. It is located between Savoie, France and Aosta Valley, Italy to the south of the Mont Blanc Massif, precisely on the main alpine watershed. There is also a Great St...
), as well as in adjoining sections of northwestern PiedmontPiedmontPiedmont is one of the 20 regions of Italy. It has an area of 25,402 square kilometres and a population of about 4.4 million. The capital of Piedmont is Turin. The main local language is Piedmontese. Occitan is also spoken by a minority in the Occitan Valleys situated in the Provinces of...
in the Graian AlpsGraian AlpsThe Graian Alps are a mountain range in the western part of the Alps. They are located in France , Italy , and Switzerland...
; - the MedulliMedulliA Gaulish people, the Medulli belonged to the group of mountain tribes controlling access to high Alps passes, along with the Centrones in Tarentaise Valley and the Salassi in Aosta Valley, especially for the trade of metals...
, who occupied the middle Maurienne ValleyMaurienneMaurienne is one of the provinces of Savoy, corresponding to the arrondissement of Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne in France. It is also the original name of the capital of the province, now Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne.-Location:...
and probably reached as far as Darantasia itself; - the NantuatesNantuatesThe Nantuates or Nantuatae were an ancient people of modern day Switzerland, whose territory extended into adjacent areas now in modern-day France....
in the Chablais savoyardChablaisChablais was a province of the Duchy of Savoy. Its capital was Thonon-les-Bains.This region is currently divided into three territories, the Chablais savoyard, the Chablais valaisan, and the Chablais vaudois, and is now split across two countries: France and Switzerland...
(eastern Haute Savoie department) and adjoining sections of CantonCantons of SwitzerlandThe 26 cantons of Switzerland are the member states of the federal state of Switzerland. Each canton was a fully sovereign state with its own borders, army and currency from the Treaty of Westphalia until the establishment of the Swiss federal state in 1848...
ValaisValaisThe Valais is one of the 26 cantons of Switzerland in the southwestern part of the country, around the valley of the Rhône from its headwaters to Lake Geneva, separating the Pennine Alps from the Bernese Alps. The canton is one of the drier parts of Switzerland in its central Rhône valley...
; - the above-mentioned SalassiSalassiThe Salassi were an Alpine tribe whose lands lay on the Italian side of the Little St Bernard Pass across the Graian Alps to Lyons, and the Great St Bernard Pass over the Pennine Alps...
of Aosta Valley; and - the SegusiniSegusiniThe Segusini were an Alpine tribe whose territory largely corresponded with the ancient Roman province of Alpes Cottiae, in the Cottian Alps.The capital of the Segusini was Segusio , which voluntarily became part of the Roman Empire in the late 1st century BC. Segusio was also the capital of the...
whose territory includied Susa and BriançonBriançonBriançon a commune in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in southeastern France. It is a sub-prefecture of the department....
.
Major settlements
- Darantasia or Ceutronum Civitas (MoûtiersMoutiersMoutiers and Les Moutiers is the name or part of the name of several communes in France:*Moutiers, in the Eure-et-Loir département*Moutiers, in the Ille-et-Vilaine département*Moutiers, in the Meurthe-et-Moselle département...
) - Ad Publicanos (Conflans, in AlbertvilleAlbertvilleAlbertville is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.The town is best known for hosting the 1992 Winter Olympics.-Geography:...
) - Axima or Axuma (AimeAimeAime is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.-Geography:The commune lies in the Tarentaise Valley, partly overlapping the ski resorts of La Plagne and Les Arcs.-Transportation:...
) - Bergintrum (Bourg-Saint-MauriceBourg-Saint-MauriceBourg-Saint-Maurice, popularly known as Bourg, is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is the last large town along the Tarentaise valley in the heart of the French Alps.-History:...
) - Clusora (ClusesClusesCluses is a commune in the Haute-Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.Citizens are known as Clusiens. The commune is situated in the Arve Valley, on the river which bears the same name...
) - Forum Claudii Ceutronum (?, probably Centron, near MontgirodMontgirodMontgirod is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France....
[if it is not the same as Darantasia]) - Mantala (Bourg-Evescal, near Bourg-Saint-MauriceBourg-Saint-MauriceBourg-Saint-Maurice, popularly known as Bourg, is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France.It is the last large town along the Tarentaise valley in the heart of the French Alps.-History:...
) - Oblimum (La Bâtie, in VillarouxVillarouxVillaroux is a commune in the Savoie department in the Rhône-Alpes region in south-eastern France....
)
See also
- AllobrogesAllobrogesThe Allobroges were a Celtic tribe of ancient Gaul, located between the Rhône River and the Lake of Geneva in what later became Savoy, Dauphiné, and Vivarais. Their cities were in the areas of modern-day Annecy, Chambéry and Grenoble, the modern of Isère, and modern Switzerland...
- GraioceliGraioceliThe Graioceli were an Alpine tribe whose lands lay in the upper valley of Maurienne and in the vicinity of Alpis Graia , as well as in adjoining sections of northwestern Piedmont in the Graian Alps....
- MedulliMedulliA Gaulish people, the Medulli belonged to the group of mountain tribes controlling access to high Alps passes, along with the Centrones in Tarentaise Valley and the Salassi in Aosta Valley, especially for the trade of metals...
- NantuatesNantuatesThe Nantuates or Nantuatae were an ancient people of modern day Switzerland, whose territory extended into adjacent areas now in modern-day France....
- SegusiniSegusiniThe Segusini were an Alpine tribe whose territory largely corresponded with the ancient Roman province of Alpes Cottiae, in the Cottian Alps.The capital of the Segusini was Segusio , which voluntarily became part of the Roman Empire in the late 1st century BC. Segusio was also the capital of the...
- List of Celtic tribes
- List of peoples of Gaul
- Gaulish languageGaulish languageThe Gaulish language is an extinct Celtic language that was spoken by the Gauls, a people who inhabited the region known as Gaul from the Iron Age through the Roman period...
- Ancient Diocese of TarentaiseAncient Diocese of TarentaiseThe Archdiocese of Tarentaise was a Roman Catholic diocese and archdiocese in France, with its see in Moûtiers, in the Tarentaise Valley in Savoie. It was established as a diocese in the 5th century, elevated to archdiocese in 794, and disbanded in 1801...
Sources
- John Lemprière, Lorenzo DaPonte, & John David Ogilby (1839), Bibliotheca Classica: Or, A Dictionary of All the Principal Names and Terms, (Tenth American Edition), New York: W.E. Dean. Centrones, p. 69
- Henry Lewis Wickham, John Anthony Cramer (1820). A Dissertation on the Passage of Hannibal Over the Alps, (Second Edition, 1828), London: Oxford (Baxter), pp. 41-67
- William Hazlit (1851). The Classical Gazetteer: A Dictionary of Ancient Geography, Sacred and Profane, London: Whittaker and Co.
- Venceslas Kruta (2000), Les Celtes, Histoire et Dictionnaire, Paris: Éditions Robert Laffont, coll. Bouquins. ISBN 2-7028-6261-6.