Convictolitavis
Encyclopedia
Convictolitavis was a prominent member of the Celtic civitas
of the Haedui during the Gallic Wars
. He played a significant role in the pan-Gallic
rebellion of 52 BC, as narrated by Julius Caesar
in Book 7 of his Commentarii de Bello Gallico
.
In the seventh year of the war, Caesar was surprised by the scope and strength of the resistance mounted by Vercingetorix
, a leader of the neighboring Arverni
, who was able to rally a number of Gallic civitates and tribes in a united effort to halt the Roman conquest of Gaul. Haeduan loyalties during this time appear to have been divided; the Aedui had been allies of Rome and enemies of the Arverni at least since the 120s BC, but Caesar was aware of opposing pro- and anti-Roman factions within the civitas from the beginning of the war.
This division recurs in the disputed Haeduan election for the annual office of vergobret
, which Caesar describes as the chief magistracy of the civitas. Two men claimed victory: Convictolitavis and Cotus, whose brother had held the office the previous year. Aeduan law sought to limit the dynastic accumulation of power within a family by prohibiting a man from holding the vergobrecy if a close relative had within a specified period of time. Cotus, whatever the outcome of the vote, should have been ineligible.
A Haeduan delegation called in the Roman proconsul
to mediate. Caesar claims that he did not want to involve himself with an internal political matter, and he could ill afford to turn his attention from Vercingetorix, but the instability of the Haedui and an impending civil war among what had long been Rome's staunchest ally in central Gaul warranted his presence. After reviewing the case and learning that the priests had already ratified the election of Convictolitavis, Caesar rejected the claim of Cotus and hastened back to his army.
Having obtained the desired office and Caesar's good graces, Convictolitavis no longer pretended to resist the rebellion. The Aeduan army, led by Litaviccus
, was supposed to aid the Roman army at the siege of Gergovia, but instead turned against Caesar. Forced to split up his army in order to deal with the approaching Haedui, Caesar lost the siege. Gergovia is noted as one of the few occasions in Gaul when Caesar was unquestionably out-generaled.
Civitas
In the history of Rome, the Latin term civitas , according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the cives, or citizens, united by law . It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities on the one hand and rights of citizenship on the other...
of the Haedui during the Gallic Wars
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were a series of military campaigns waged by the Roman proconsul Julius Caesar against several Gallic tribes. They lasted from 58 BC to 51 BC. The Gallic Wars culminated in the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, in which a complete Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the...
. He played a significant role in the pan-Gallic
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...
rebellion of 52 BC, as narrated by Julius 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....
in Book 7 of his 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...
.
In the seventh year of the war, Caesar was surprised by the scope and strength of the resistance mounted by Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix
Vercingetorix was the chieftain of the Arverni tribe, who united the Gauls in an ultimately unsuccessful revolt against Roman forces during the last phase of Julius Caesar's Gallic Wars....
, a leader of the neighboring Arverni
Arverni
The Arverni were a Gallic tribe living in what is now the Auvergne region of France during the last centuries BC. One of the most powerful tribes in ancient Gaul, they opposed the Romans on several occasions...
, who was able to rally a number of Gallic civitates and tribes in a united effort to halt the Roman conquest of Gaul. Haeduan loyalties during this time appear to have been divided; the Aedui had been allies of Rome and enemies of the Arverni at least since the 120s BC, but Caesar was aware of opposing pro- and anti-Roman factions within the civitas from the beginning of the war.
This division recurs in the disputed Haeduan election for the annual office of vergobret
Vergobret
The vergobret was a person in Celtic society who held the highest office in many Gallic cities, especially among the Aedui. Julius Caesar discusses the role of the vergobret several times in his Commentaries on the Gallic War, referring to the office with the terms princeps civitatis, principatus,...
, which Caesar describes as the chief magistracy of the civitas. Two men claimed victory: Convictolitavis and Cotus, whose brother had held the office the previous year. Aeduan law sought to limit the dynastic accumulation of power within a family by prohibiting a man from holding the vergobrecy if a close relative had within a specified period of time. Cotus, whatever the outcome of the vote, should have been ineligible.
A Haeduan delegation called in the Roman proconsul
Proconsul
A proconsul was a governor of a province in the Roman Republic appointed for one year by the senate. In modern usage, the title has been used for a person from one country ruling another country or bluntly interfering in another country's internal affairs.-Ancient Rome:In the Roman Republic, a...
to mediate. Caesar claims that he did not want to involve himself with an internal political matter, and he could ill afford to turn his attention from Vercingetorix, but the instability of the Haedui and an impending civil war among what had long been Rome's staunchest ally in central Gaul warranted his presence. After reviewing the case and learning that the priests had already ratified the election of Convictolitavis, Caesar rejected the claim of Cotus and hastened back to his army.
Having obtained the desired office and Caesar's good graces, Convictolitavis no longer pretended to resist the rebellion. The Aeduan army, led by Litaviccus
Litaviccus
Litaviccus was a member of the Gallic tribe of Haedui. He played an important role at the Siege of Gergovia. Though the Haedui at first supported Julius Caesar in his struggle against Vercingetorix, they defected from the Romans and joined Vercingetorix.According to Caesar in his Commentarii de...
, was supposed to aid the Roman army at the siege of Gergovia, but instead turned against Caesar. Forced to split up his army in order to deal with the approaching Haedui, Caesar lost the siege. Gergovia is noted as one of the few occasions in Gaul when Caesar was unquestionably out-generaled.