Vergobret
Encyclopedia
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, and magistratus.
Elected every year under the aegis of the druid
s, the vergobret had the right of life and death, that of commanding the army in defensive action. He was however forbidden from leaving the borders of the territory of his people: "The laws of the Aedui forbid those who held the highest office from crossing the borders". He could not therefore command the army outside of the borders, which obligated the naming of a general and prevented the vergobret from seizing power beyond the terms of this magistrature.
The vergobret was chosen from among the most powerful people and coins have been found in the effigies of Aedui and Remi
vergobrets (for instance, stater
s at the effigy of Dumnorix
).
One of the rare archeological testaments of the vergobret comes from the 1978 excavations of Dr. Allain in the zone of the temples to Argentomagus
(Saint-Marcel, Indre
) where an olla of terra nigra, engraved after being fired, bares the inscription, "vercobretos readdas". Briefly mentioned in Gallia in 1980 (Gallia 38-2, p. 327), the inscription later lead to a developed publication, including a photo and transcription, in the Revue Archéologique du Centre de la France (RACF). The vase can be seen in the museum of Argentomagus. The meaning of the inscription is along the lines of "the vergobret has sacrificed/consecrated/given" (cf. P-Y Lambert 2003 and X. Delamarre 2003).
Several names of vergobrets are currently known: Liscus
in 58, Valetiacos in 53, Convictolitavis
of the Aedui in 52, and Celtillos of the Arverni
.
For the Lemovices
, two names are probable: Sedullos
, killed at Alesia
, was called dux et princeps lemovicum, "military and civil leader", which probably corresponds to the title of vergobret.
Furthermore, an inscription in rock in the Galloroman city of Augustoritum has been found, which is a sign of a yet incomplete Romanization: it cites a certain "Postumus, vergobret, son of Dumnorix" (the latter having no relation to the Aedui of the same name).
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....
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, and magistratus.
Elected every year under the aegis of the druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....
s, the vergobret had the right of life and death, that of commanding the army in defensive action. He was however forbidden from leaving the borders of the territory of his people: "The laws of the Aedui forbid those who held the highest office from crossing the borders". He could not therefore command the army outside of the borders, which obligated the naming of a general and prevented the vergobret from seizing power beyond the terms of this magistrature.
The vergobret was chosen from among the most powerful people and coins have been found in the effigies of Aedui and Remi
Remi
The Remi were a Belgic tribe of north-eastern Gaul in the 1st century BC. They occupied the northern Champagne plain, on the southern fringes of the Forest of Ardennes, between the rivers Mosa and Matrona , and along the river valleys of the Aisne and its tributaries the Aire and the Vesle.Their...
vergobrets (for instance, stater
Stater
The stater was an ancient coin used in various regions of Greece.-History:The stater is mostly of Macedonian origin. Celtic tribes brought it in to Europe after using it as mercenaries in north Greece. It circulated from the 8th century BC to 50 AD...
s at the effigy of Dumnorix
Dumnorix
Dumnorix was a chieftain of the Aedui, a Celtic tribe in Gaul in the 1st century B.C. He was strongly against alliance with the Romans, particularly Julius Caesar, who sparred with him on several occasions...
).
One of the rare archeological testaments of the vergobret comes from the 1978 excavations of Dr. Allain in the zone of the temples to Argentomagus
Argentomagus
The Roman city of Argentomagus was located in the Mersans plateau of central France, at the strategic point where a Roman bridge once traversed the River Creuse...
(Saint-Marcel, Indre
Saint-Marcel, Indre
Saint-Marcel is a commune in the Indre department in central France.-References:*...
) where an olla of terra nigra, engraved after being fired, bares the inscription, "vercobretos readdas". Briefly mentioned in Gallia in 1980 (Gallia 38-2, p. 327), the inscription later lead to a developed publication, including a photo and transcription, in the Revue Archéologique du Centre de la France (RACF). The vase can be seen in the museum of Argentomagus. The meaning of the inscription is along the lines of "the vergobret has sacrificed/consecrated/given" (cf. P-Y Lambert 2003 and X. Delamarre 2003).
Several names of vergobrets are currently known: Liscus
Liscus
Liscus was Vergobretus of the Aedui of central Gaul in 58 BC. He revealed to Julius Caesar the role of his compatriot Dumnorix in withholding supplies.-References:* Julius Caesar, Commentarii de Bello Gallico...
in 58, Valetiacos in 53, Convictolitavis
Convictolitavis
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...
of the Aedui in 52, and Celtillos of the 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...
.
For the Lemovices
Lemovices
The Lemovices were a Gaulish tribe of Central Europe who established themselves in Limousin and Poitou between 700 and 400 BC. Their capital was Durotincum and in the era of Roman occupation, it was Augustoritum...
, two names are probable: Sedullos
Sedullos
Sedullos was a Gaulish chief of the tribe of the Lemovices. He commanded the 10,000 Lemovices that formed part of the relief force led by the Arvernian Vercassivellaunos. This relief force was raised to assist Vercingetorix at the Battle of Alesia. His death and courage are mentioned by Julius...
, killed at Alesia
Alesia
-Places:France*Alesia , an ancient city in Gaul**Battle of Alesia*Alésia , a station in the Paris Métro*Rue d'Alésia, Paris*Le quartier Alésia, an unofficial district of Paris that mostly overlaps Petit-MontrougeUnited States...
, was called dux et princeps lemovicum, "military and civil leader", which probably corresponds to the title of vergobret.
Furthermore, an inscription in rock in the Galloroman city of Augustoritum has been found, which is a sign of a yet incomplete Romanization: it cites a certain "Postumus, vergobret, son of Dumnorix" (the latter having no relation to the Aedui of the same name).