Pliny the Elder, The Natural History, BOOK IV. AN ACCOUNT OF COUNTRIES, NATIONS, SEAS, TOWNS, HAVENS, MOUNTAINS, RIVERS, DISTANCES, AND PEOPLES WHO NOW EXIST OR FORMERLY EXISTED., CHAP. 33. (19.)

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CHAP. 33. (19.)—GALLIA AQUITANICA.

In Aquitanica are the Ambilatri¹, the Anagnutes², the Pictones³, the Santoni⁴, a free people, the Bituriges⁵, surnamed Vivisci, the Aquitani⁶, from whom the province derives its name, the Sediboviates⁷, the Convenæ⁸, who together form one town, the Begerri⁹, the Tarbelli Quatuorsignani¹⁰, the Cocosates Sexsignani¹¹, the Venami¹², the Onobrisates¹³, the Belendi¹⁴, and then the Pyrenæan range. Below these are the Monesi¹⁵, the Oscidates¹⁶ a mountain race, the Sibyllates¹⁷, the Camponi¹⁸, the Bercorcates¹⁹, the Pindedunni²⁰, the Lassunni²¹, the Vellates²², the Tornates²³, the Consoranni²⁴, the Ausci²⁵, the Elusates²⁶, the Sottiates²⁷, the Oscidates Campestres²⁸, the Succasses²⁹, the Tarusates³⁰, the Basabocates³¹, the Vassei³², the Sennates, and the Cambolectri Agessinates³³. Joining up to the Pictones are the Bituriges³⁴, a free people, who are also known as the Cubi, and then the Lemovices³⁵, the Arverni³⁶, a free people, and the Gabales³⁷.

Again, adjoining the province of Narbonensis are the Ruteni³⁸, the Cadurci³⁹, the Nitiobriges⁴⁰, and the Petrocori⁴¹, separated by the river Tarnis from the Tolosani. The seas around the coast are the Northern Ocean, flowing up to the mouth of the Rhine, the Britannic Ocean between the Rhine and the Sequana, and, between it and the Pyrenees, the Gallic Ocean. There are many islands belonging to the Veneti, which bear the name of "Veneticæ,⁴²" as also in the Aquitanic Gulf, that of Uliarus⁴³.

1 They are mentioned by Cæsar (B. C. iii. 9), in conjunction with the Nannetes, Morini, and others, but nothing can be inferred as to the precise position they occupied.

2 Their locality also is unknown, but it is supposed that they dwelt in the vicinity of the department of La Vendée.

3 From them ancient Poitou received its name. They are supposed to have occupied the department of the Haute-Vienne, and portions of the departments of La Vendée, the Loire Inférieure, the Maine et Loire, the Deux-Sèvres, and La Vienne.

4 They gave name to the former Saintonge, now the department of Charente and Charente Inférieure. The town of Saintes occupies the site of their chief town.

5 They occupied the modern department of the Gironde. The city of Bordeaux occupies the site of their chief town.

6 They gave name to Aquitaine, which became corrupted into Guyenne. Pliny is the only author that makes the Aquitani a distinct people of the province of Aquitanica. The Tarusates are supposed to have afterwards occupied the site here referred to by him, with Atures for their chief town, afterwards called Aire, in the department of the Landes.

7 Their locality is unknown, but it has been suggested that they occupied the departments of the Basses Pyrénées, or Lower Pyrenees.

8 So called from the Latin verb convenire, "to assemble" or "meet together." They are said to have received this name from the circumstance that Ptolemy, after the close of the Sertorian war, finding a pastoral people of predatory habits inhabiting the range of the Pyrenees, ordered them to unite together and form a community in a town or city. From them the present town of Saint Bertrand de Comminges, in the S.W. of the department of the Haute Garonne, derives its Latin name "Lugdunum Convenarum."

9 By Cæsar called the Bigerriones. Their name was preserved in that of the district of Bigorre, now the department of the Hautes-Pyrénées. Their chief town was Turba, now Tarbes.

10 By calling the Tarbelli Quatuorsignani, he seems to imply that their chief town was a place garrisoned by four maniples of soldiers, each with a signum or standard. Aquæ Tarbellicæ was their chief town, the modern Acqs or Dax, in the S.W. of the department of the Landes.

11 Their chief town was probably garrisoned by six signa or maniples. Cocosa, or Coequosa, as it is written in the Antonine Itinerary, is the first place on a road from Aque Tarbellicse or Dax to Burdegala or Bordeaux, now called Marensin. Their locality was in the southern part of the department of the Landes, the inhabitants of which are still divided into two classes, the Bouges, those of the north, or of the Tête de Buch; and the Cousiots, those of the south.

12 Their locality is unknown.

13 D'Anville would read "Onobusates," and thinks that they dwelt in the district called Nébousan, in the department of the Hautes Pyrénées. He is also of opinion that their town stood on the site of the modern Cioutat, between the rivers Adour and Neste.

14 They occupied the southern part of the department of the Gironde.

15 From them Hardouin suggests that Moneins, in the department of the Basses Pyrénées, takes its name.

16 D'Anville is of opinion that they inhabited and gave name to the Vallée d'Ossun, between the Pyrenees and the city of Oléron in the department of the Basses Pyrénées.

17 D'Anville places them in the Vallée de Soule, in the department of the Basses Pyrénées.

18 From them Campon, a place in the department of the Hautes Pyrénées, is supposed to have received its name.

19 Biscarosse, not far from Tête de Buch in the department of the Landes, is supposed to derive its name from this tribe.

20 Nothing whatever is known of them.

21 The more general reading is "Sassumini." Ansart suggests that the town of Sarrum, between Cognac and Périgueux, in the department of the Dordogne, may have received its name from them.

22 Ansart suggests that Rieumes, in the department of the Haute Garonne, occupies the site of Ryesium, their chief town, mentioned by Ptolemy.

23 They are supposed to have given name to Tournay, in the department of the Hautes Pyrénées.

24 Supposed to be the same as the Consuarini, mentioned in B. iii. c. 5.

25 They probably gave name to Auch, in the department of Gers.

26 Their chief town occupied the site of Euse or Eause, in the department of Gers.

27 Their locality is marked by Soz, in the department of the Lot-et-Garonne.

28 Or "Oscidates of the Plains." They probably gave name to Ossun, two miles from Tarbes, in the department of the Hautes Pyrénæes.

29 From them the village of Cestas, three leagues from Bordeaux, in the department of the Gironde, is supposed to derive its name.

30 The village of Tursan, in the department of the Landes, probably derived its name from this tribe.

31 Their town was Cossio, afterwards Vasates, now Bazas, in the department of the Gironde.

32 The site of the Vassei and the Sennates appears to be unknown.

33 D'Anville is of opinion that this tribe gave name to Aisenay or Azenay, a village four leagues distant from Bourbon-Vendée, in the department of La Vendée.

34 They occupied the district formerly known as Berry, but now the departments of the Indre, the Cher, and the west of the department of the Allier. Their chief town was Avaricum, now Bourges.

35 They inhabited the district formerly known as the Limosin, now the departments of the Creuse, the Haute Vienne, and the Corrèeze. Their chief town was Augustoritum, afterwards Lemovices, now Limoges.

36 They occupied the district formerly known as Auvergne, forming the present department of the Allier, and the southern part of the Puy de Dòme and the Cantal. Augustonemetum was their chief town, now Clermont.

37 Situate in the district formerly known as Gevaudan, now the department of La Lozére. Their chief town stood on the site of the present small town of Javoulx, four leagues from Mende.

38 They are supposed to have occupied the former district of Rouergue, now known as the department of Aveyron. Their chief town was Segodunum, afterwards Ruteni, now known as Rhodez.

39 They occupied the former district of Querci, the present department of Lot and Lot-et-Garonne. Divona, afterwards Cadurci, now Cahors, was their principal town.

40 According to Ptolemy their town was Aginnum, probably the modern Agen, in the present department of Lot-et-Garonne. "Antobroges," however, is the more common reading.

41 They occupied the district formerly known as Périgord, in the department of the Dordogne; their town was Vesanna, afterwards Petrocori, now Périgueux.

42 Ansart says they are about 200 in number, consisting of Belle Isle, Groaix, Houat, Hoedic, and others. Also probably Morbihan.

43 The Isle of Oleron, the fountain-head of the maritime laws of Europe.

The Natural History. Pliny the Elder. John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S. H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A. London. Taylor and Francis, Red Lion Court, Fleet Street. 1855.

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Pliny the Elder, The Natural History
John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S., H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A., Ed.

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CHAP. 33. (19.)—GALLIA AQUITANICA.

Pliny the Elder, The Natural History John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S., H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A., Ed.

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CHAP. 33. (19.)—GALLIA AQUITANICA.

Pliny the Elder, The Natural History
John Bostock, M.D., F.R.S., H.T. Riley, Esq., B.A., Ed.