Chartres - (Eure-et-Loir) France - In Search of the Celts on Waymarking.com

[FR] Les Carnutes qu'on trouve en Gaule au temps de César sont un peuple ancien - ou du moins leur nom l'est-il. Tite-Live compte des Carnutes parmi les peuples gaulois qui, conduits par le semi-légendaire Bellovesos, émigrèrent vers l'Italie au temps de Tarquin l'Ancien (VIe s. av. J.-C.)

Du point de vue politique et militaire, César – qui leur en veut et les déteste tout autant que leurs voisins les Sénons – nous donne, tous comptes faits, l'impression d'un peuple relativement peu organisé. Mais il est vrai qu'en face d'une source unique et partiale, les impressions peuvent être trompeuses.

Les Carnutes occupaient une vaste province dans le sud-ouest du Bassin parisien, avec deux villes principales, Autricum (Chartres) - et Cenabum (Orléans). César nous apprend que les Carnutes possédaient également beaucoup de places fortes et de villages.

[EN] The Carnutes dwelt in an extensive territory between the Sequana (Seine) and the Liger (Loire) rivers. Their lands were later organized as the Catholic dioceses of Chartres, Orléans and Blois, that is, the greater part of the modern departments of Eure-et-Loir, Loiret and Loir-et-Cher.

The chief fortified towns were Cenabum (mistakenly "Genabum"), the modern Orléans, where a bridge crossed the Loire, and Autricum (or Carnutes, thus Chartres). The great annual druidic assembly mentioned by Caesar took place in one or the other of these towns. Livy's history records the legendary tradition that the Carnutes had been one of the tribes that accompanied Bellovesus in his invasion of Italy during the reign of Tarquinius Priscus.

In the time of Caesar, the Carnutes were dependents of the Remi, who on one occasion interceded for them. In the winter of 58–57 BC, Caesar imposed a protectorate over the Carnutes and set up Tasgetius as his choice of king, picked from the ruling clan. Within three years, the Carnutes assassinated the puppet king. On 13 February 53 BC, the Carnutes of Cenabum massacred all the Roman merchants stationed in the town as well as one of Caesar's commissariat officers. The uprising became a general one throughout Gaul, under the leadership of Vercingetorix. Caesar burned Cenabum, where he had the men killed and women and children sold as slaves. The booty was distributed among his soldiers, an effective way of financing the conquest of Gaul. During the war that followed, the Carnutes sent 12,000 fighting men to relieve Alesia, but shared in the defeat of the Gallic army. Having attacked the Bituriges Cubi, who appealed to Caesar for assistance, they were forced to submit. Cenabum was left for years as a mass of ruins for example, with two Roman legions garrisoned there.

After they had been pacified, though not Romanized, under Augustus, the Carnutes, as one of the peoples of Gallia Lugdunensis, were raised to the rank of civitas soda or foederati. They retained their self-governing institutions, and minted coins; their only obligation was for the men to render military service to the emperor. Up to the 3rd century, Autricum (later Carnutes, whence Chartres) was the capital. In 275 Aurelian refounded Cenabum, ordaining it no longer a vicus but a civitas; he named it Aurelianum or Aurelianensis urbs (which eventually became Orléans).

Opening days/times: Web Site: [Web Link] Condition: Place name Admission Fee (local currency): Not listed

Visit Instructions:
No special requirements.

Recent Visits/Logs:

Date Logged Log User Rating   11/11/2017 Les_Alnelois visited it 12/29/2016 pmaupin visited it

View all visits/logs