Raeti

The Rhaetians were a nation or group of nations of antiquity in the region of the central Alps, according to older ideas about between Lake Maggiore, Como, Verona, the Lower Inn Valley and Lake Constance.

The German name goes back to the since the 2nd century BC appearing in ancient Greek and Roman sources Ῥαιτοί ( Rhaitoí ) or Raeti. Part it states in the Rhaetians were by the Celtic invasion of the Po Valley ( around 400 BC ) distributed in the Alps and there " feral " Etruscans. This is now regarded as implausible, but a linguistic relationship between certain Alpine inhabitants of the ancient world and the Etruscans has recently been confirmed.

The Rhaetians BC were incorporated into the Roman Empire in the 1st century and Romanized during the Roman rule. The Roman province of Raetia was named after them, although originally not all of its inhabitants were called Raeti or Rhaitoí and although südalpine " Rhaetian " strains were not associated with the province, but the heartland of Italia and equipped with Roman citizenship.

The term Rhaetians from each subject to different ideas, so sometimes the expression " Rhaetians within the meaning of ... " would be appropriate. From an archaeological and linguistic perspective they are today identified with the Fritz - Sanzeno culture or with residents of Tyrol, Trentino, Veneto and the western part of the Lower Engadine.

• 4.1 The " Rätergebiet "
• 4.2 Where lived according to ancient sources Rhaetians?
• 4.3 Rhaetians in Tyrol or in Grisons? tradition
• 4.4 inscriptions in " Rätergebiet " and the language (s ) of the " Reti "
• 4.5 Conclusion, more linguistic relationship

Rhaetians or Rhäter?

The occasional letters Rhäter Rhaetia and how it is used officially by the Rhaetian Railway (RhB ), goes back to the 2nd century BC since the common Greek name Ῥαιτοί ( Rhaitoí ), takes so far as the usual transcription of the Greek root word - cf alcohol asper. In Roman writings indeed is initially Raeti and the like, but also joined the Greek root word phonetically spelling performing Rhaetian and the like in Roman manuscripts at a later period to. Another example of this notation is about the article in Rhätia Pierer 's Universal - Lexicon of 1857.

Conceptual history

The following statements summarize later shown details of the article together:

Ancient sources

Early scattered references

The oldest messages about the " Reti " are the following:

• Cato the Elder ( 234-149 BC) boasts in his libri ad M. filium the Rhaetian wine (or grape Rhaetian; handed down by a set of Maurus Servius Honoratius - end of the 4th century; Virgil, II, 95).
• Polybius (ca. 200-120 BC ) mentions according Strabo Geography ( 7 BC with later additions ) under four Alpine passes through a " Rätisches area " ( διά Ῥαιτῶν ).

Other authors agree that the Rhaetian delicious wine grew in the area of ​​Verona ( Valpolicella ). Strabo makes the Rhaetians next move in the near Como. The Celtic oppidum Como was in 196 BC conquered by the Romans (renewal of dominion over the Po Valley ) and BC rebuilt 89 after thorough destruction by Rhaetians by the Romans colonized ( Pompey Strabo ). In this period, so the Romans had first touch with the Rhaetians - on the line Verona - Como.

Under Caesar the Roman Empire to the northwest of the Alps has been extended, the governor L. Munatius Plancus defeated there in 44 BC Rhaetians in the area of Lake Constance. Rhaetians in the area of Lake Constance, in particular in the Alpine Rhine Valley, but perhaps also north of Lake Constance, are given by later historians and geographers.

Alleged Etruscan origin

Pompeius Trogus ( contemporary of Augustus and Livy, handed down by Iunianus Justin ) and after him, Pliny the Elder ( Naturalis Historia, 77 AD completed ) peddle, the Rhaetians were descended from the Celts of the Po Valley under a certain Raetus ( " Duce Raeto " ) escaped Etruscan (see forecast origin, etiological narrative). Similarly, Livy describes († 17 AD), the Etruscan settlement of the Po Valley and includes

" The Alps peoples have not disputed the same origin, especially the Rhaetians, but where the area itself imparted their ferocity and them of all hereditary nothing was left but the sound of the language, and also not even genuine. "

Livy also claims, by a derivation of the Reti by the Etruscans, but leaves open the details. Instead, it manifests itself as the only language for the Reti. Livy was born presumably in Padua and died where Raetian inscriptions were found. Maybe he could even compare the sound of the Rhaetian and the Etruscan, or such statements were part of expert narratives of older generations in his native surroundings.

The Roman conquest of the central Alps

In connection with the conquest of the Alps under Augustus ( sole ruler of the Roman Empire from 27 BC to 14 AD † ), individual tribes known to inhabit the Alps at the end of the first century BC, and are included in the sources. However, the latter are unclear and contradictory regarding the Reti.

First, a part of the Alpine Val d'Adige Trento apparently conquered included. 16 BC Publius Silius Nerva knocks Kamunner ( Valcamonica ) and Vennioi that for Rhaetians keep some authors (more on this below). 15 BC undertakes Drusus, stepson of Augustus, a celebrated advance in the Adige Valley. Due to further raids Rhaetians in neighboring areas, he shall, in conjunction with his brother Tiberius in the same year a campaign in which the rest of the Adige Valley, the Eisacktal, the ( alpine ) Inn Valley, the Alpine Rhine Valley, some territory in the area of Lake Constance, and probably several areas in the northern foothills of the Alps to conquer. Apparently the bases Cambodunum ( Kempten im Allgäu) and Augusta Vindelicorum ( Augsburg) are founded in the same year.

The 16/15 BC subjected Alpine tribes are listed in Tropaeum Alpium and in the better -preserved copy by → Pliny for a discussion of individual peoples and places. The Alpine campaign of 15 BC, is shown in Cassius Dio and lyrically in the songs 4 and 14 of the fourth book of Horace's Carmina. Localization experiments draw from this, further from the geographical works of Strabo and Ptolemy, from individual local Latin inscriptions such as the Tabula Clesiana (CIL 05, 05050 ) in Val di Non, finally, the order of the entries is troubled at Tropaeum Alpium.

Neighboring nations

Ancient Greek and Roman sources ( the Alpine campaign of 15 BC into account ) allow a certain degree of localization of the Reti by specifying neighboring peoples. It is noticeable that the neighboring nations are consistently marked as Celts. Neighboring nations appear raids also a victim of the " proverbial".

Because of the said southern boundary to Como and Verona that matters is on neighbors to the west, east and north. To the west, the settling in the plane Helvetii are called as neighbors. To the east is in the 1st century BC, the Celtic kingdom of Noricum, with Rome is contractually bound and friendly. As neighbors in the northern foothills of the Alps, the Boii still be called.

Mainly occurs in connection with the Alpine campaign of 15 BC, the hitherto apparently unknown group of people → Vindelici into view of history. They should also have been Celts. How Rhaetians they should have been very funny consuming and have lived in the Alps adjacent to Köngigreich Noricum and on Lake Constance. Strabo calls vindelikische strains in Bregenz ( Briganties ) and lived in the Allgäu region; further calls (maybe see Vindelici ) the Trophy of Augustus (→ Pliny ). Finally, Horace ' chants and the Geography of Claudius Ptolemy suggest that Rhaetians perhaps north of the Alps and Lake Constance settled ( in vindelikischer neighborhood ) to the Danube. According to Ptolemy separated there the Iller Rhaetians ( west ) and Vindelici each other.

Comparison of ancient information and current knowledge

The " Rätergebiet "

The following table summarizes → pictures together from Gleirscher (1991 ) and Metzger / Gleirscher 1992. The rows of the table are for six ( in the left column labeled) regions of the central Alps, which are distinguished archaeologically and culturally in the last 13 centuries before Christ. Law are enumerated some tribes that occur since the Alpine campaign in the sources, and are often associated with the at least each region. In part list cells of the left column on individual valleys, which one according to their order, may consider certain tribes the right column ( some names of Alpine valleys result from the designation of the inhabitants at that time forth, the similarity of the names is quite obvious).

As far as tribes, called by the Romans or Greeks as Rhaetians that listed in the middle column of cultural groups ( " from 400 BC " ) are relevant.

In the second column ( from the left) is about archaeological cultures in the central Alps, which here in the late Bronze Age and early Iron Age ( Hallstatt period ) are recognizable. One might wonder whether after about 1300 BC immigrated a Rhaetian people. In fact, the western and northern regions of immigration from the west and north were affected from 1300 BC, which led to the Alpine foreland of the respective similarities to the ( Celtic ) cultures ( urn field culture ). The southwestern "Alpine Golaseccakultur " works in conjunction with the Golaseccakultur the southern foothill. Similarly, the south-eastern cultures take influence on the Venetian Este culture.

More immigration are hardly recognizable. The next archaeologically conspicuous change in the central Alps is that the copper ore based on the economic boom from 1000 BC, with the increasing use of iron ends in the surrounding area. The increasing use of iron in Rätergebiet itself from the 8th century BC does not lead to a cultural break, striking is perhaps the unresolved transition to hilltop settlements, which also affects other Alpine regions.

From the 6th century, however, considered here, Alps region is influenced by the flowering of the Etruscan civilization in the Po Valley, as well as act the Greek colonies by their transalpine trade with Central Europe. Another break is in the penetration of the Celts in the Po valley around 400 AD, where they destroy the Etruscan cities and the southwestern Golaseccakultur; 387 BC to conquer Gaul ( senones under Brennus? ) Almost all of Rome. These two breaks lead to the found by the Romans north of Como and Verona cultures.

Where lived according to ancient sources Rhaetians?

The " Rätergebiet " → the table has been chosen so that actually all of the above individual nations or individual nations in all the enumerated subsections in any ancient source appear as Rhaetians ( at least in friendly perspective). However, other sources contradict, or they contradict themselves so are Strabo in Geography IV, 6, 6 apparently that Rhaetians settle only on the north side of the Alps. In IV, 6, 8, he represents a very different view (see below).

• ( "Pro " ) Strabo (IV, 6, 8 ) declaration, the alpine settlement area of ​​the Rhaetians EXTEND up in the near Como or Verona, actually includes the territory of the Valcamonicagruppe. Specifically, he referred to the Kamunner ( Camunni ) of Valcamonica itself as Rhaetians.
• ( "Contra " ) Again, this is in some contrast to the mentioned peculiar point IV, 6, 6, where Rhaetians only move northward and are placed next to this the Stoner ( Sarca Valley ) as an independent nation. Pliny (. III, 133f ) expects the Kamunner, Trumpiliner (Val Trompia ) and Stoner to the " Euganeern " - while next to it quite well known Rhaetians, see below similarly reported Cassius Dio first short of a campaign against the Kamunner ( 16 BC), without the Rhaetians to mention that he related the campaign of 15 BC presents until later - this quite extensively.

• ( "Contra " ) on the Breonen and Genaunen Drusus met in the (second) Alpine campaign in 15 BC Horace - Carmina, IV, 14 (8-13) - According to where they are apparently Vindelici, this also is the fact that Horace in IV, 4 ( 17f. ) only speaks of wars of Drusus against Vindelici. Strabo (IV, 6, 8 ) According to the Breonen and Genaunen were the Illyrians.
• ( "Pro " ) for its classification as Rhaetians only speaks that the campaign of " councils pure cases " was triggered and should address these, as Cassius Dio indicates in his description of the campaign - which ever is only Rhaetians and does not mention Vindelici.
• ( "Contra " ) The same occasion, however, had the struggles of Tiberius against Vindelici in the same campaign, the latter seem to have been " surprisingly " in the campaign against the " Reti " found (at least according to Horace ).

• Tridentum ( Trento ) is indeed also associated with the Celts, but was Rhaetian by → Pliny. According to Cassius Dio lived Rhaetians " within the Tridentischen Alps, bordering on Italy. " This may especially affect Tridentum, but also about the Anaunen of Non and Val di Sole.
• The Sävaten Val Pusteria and the Laianken East Tyrol geographically are Noricum, are so far celtic, similar to what happens with perhaps the Isarken the Eisacktal. The Venosten the Vinschgau summarizes Richard Heuberger ( Reti, pp. 187f. ) As celtic, not Rhaetian on.

Rhaetians in Tyrol or in Grisons? tradition

The previous data on Rhaetians in North, South or East Tyrol notices that Richard Heuberger always denies that ancient sources say Rhaetians had lived in the Tyrol. This is also in conjunction with the represented not only by its position, the division of the Roman province of Raetia in Late Antiquity in Raetia prima and Raetia secunda have especially taken into consideration the part originally Rhaetians and where originally Vindelici had settled - and this limit is in essentially coincided with the present border between Switzerland (Graubünden) and Tyrol. However, your source material is very thin. The border between Raetia prima and Raetia secunda is due to swelling poorly secured and is more likely given the basis of plausibility considerations.

With Heuberger's opinion coincides in some way, a tradition that an awareness of descent of Rhaetians today exists only in Graubünden. This tradition is, however, not necessary to ancient sources or historical facts. Rather obviously such a tradition in the field of Raetia prima and then from → Churrätien (Graubünden, Switzerland ) was particularly well maintained, having been used in the early Middle Ages the term Raeti for residents of the area - without consideration of any ethnic group Rhaetians the 1st century v. Chr

Inscriptions in the " Rätergebiet " and the language (s ) of the " Reti "

In " Rätergebiet " (and also in the surrounding flat area ) several hundred inscriptions were found in Theodor Mommsen of so-called " North Etruscan alphabets ." This name is probably related to Mommsen from today's perspective inaccurate view, the language of - localized by him in the Grisons and Tyrol - Rhaetians is Etruscan (or " Etruscan dialect " ) have been. The letters are similar to those of the alphabets of the Etruscans and the Veneti, who are in turn derived from the western Greek font. The inscriptions are found mainly on rocks and votive offerings in sanctuaries (eg Schneidjoch / Rofangebirge between blue mountains and Achensee ) and fire altars, even on grave stelae. You are accordingly very short, similar to the Etruscan inscriptions, correspondingly little they can tell about the language in which they are held. Most preferably, the formation of personal names ( Patronymen ) can be seen. In this respect, all the inscriptions on similarities to Etruscan; the linguist Ernst Risch pointed out, however, that such features can be transferred in the same geographical area beyond the boundaries of language families of time.

There are four types of " nordetruskischer alphabets " distinction in → " Rätergebiet ":

• The alphabet of Lugano → occurs in lepontischen area and at a location in the Alpine Rhine Valley. However, the language of the inscriptions is found to be related with the Celtic (so as Indo-European ). There have now been found inscriptions dating from the 6th century, demonstrating that a Lepontische language that was related to the Celtic, before the Celtic invasion around 400 BC the Po valley in the Alps Lepontine was in use.
• The → alphabet of Sondrio ( the biggest town in Valtellina ) is typical of the inscriptions in the area of ​​Valcamonicagruppe. The language is not related to the Celtic, the font is but since the 1970s due to significant differences from the alphabets of Bolzano - Sanzeno and Magrè no more than " Rhaetian " considered ( Aldo Luigi Prosdocimi, Alberto Mancini ). Ernst Risch speaks only of " westrätischen " inscriptions that make after alphabet and language as well as the associated rock art in Valcamonica " a completely different impression than the Rhaetian "; the language could be Indo-European.
• Only the → alphabets of Bolzano - Sanzeno ( Fritz - Sanzeno culture) and of Magrè are today the Rhaetian. Published A collaboration by Helmut Rix and Stefan Schumacher in work since 1998, has shown that they represent a common, non- Indo-European language, related to the Etruscan tight, but is not itself Etruscan. This is the formulation of Livy close (see above), after which the alleged Etruscan origin of Rhaetians the " sound " of their language in spite of a difference should still have been recognizable. As → Rhaetian language the alphabets of Bolzano - Sanzeno and Magrè is called today.

Inscriptions in the alphabet of Magrè were also found in the western Veneto plain about still at Padua. This corresponds to the specification of the → Pliny, which also Verona and perhaps a city Berua / Beria at Vicenza were Rhaetian. For the comparison of the inscriptions underlying languages ​​with the Etruscan already of interest that the latter no voiced plosives b, d, g, and no o has (only four vowels, you also see the comparison of the Etruscan with the Lemnian language ). Letters for b, d, g are now missing in the alphabets of the " Rätergebiets " (but also in the Veneto ). To this extent, all the languages ​​of the central Alpine region of Romans like Livy as "hard", have " dull ", " rough" sounded like the Etruscan ( Mommsen ). However, the lack of an o have in common with the Etruscan only the alphabets of Bolzano - Sanzeno and Magrè. The last two on the other hand contain one character without Etruscan or venetisches model for apparently not used in southern neighbors lute.

From the consideration of the inscriptions, therefore, a vision of the " Reti " found that differs from ancient information. The latter are now considered to be " superficial". They exaggerate so to speak the language similarities to Etruscan. In the case of Lepontischen language while the closer relationship was mistaken for Celtic.

Conclusion, more linguistic relationship

On linguistic and archaeological basis Rhaetians are now identified with late Iron Age inhabitants of Tyrol, Trentino and the western Veneto, archaeologically with the Fritz - Sanzeno culture and Magrè group. The latter is in turn justified by the linguistic result. A clear consensus of ancient information and insights on today's " Reti " exists only for the area of Vicenza Alps.

The relationship between the Rhaetian and the Etruscan language led to the postulation of a non- Indo-European family " tyrsenischer languages ​​" ( Schumacher 2004, pp. 317f. ), Is said to have besides these two languages ​​belonging to the Lemnian language. The " urtyrsenische " ( Rix ) source language from which these three inscriptions encountered languages ​​seem to have developed, could have existed about 1000 BC.

Origin of the Reti and her name

That the Raeti supposed to have descended from Etruscans, under a leader Raetus (see above: Pliny, Trogus ) explains not seriously as etiological legend its name and origin as Sage hardly their origin.

With regard to the origin of the Etruscans supported the (previously only suspected ) linguistic relationship the opposite speculation, they had originally propagated from the Po Valley to the south, the Etruscans are perhaps even have been more " civilized Rhaetians ", as that would have been the latter " feral Etruscans ".

Raeti reappears in connection with the Etruscans as similar to the self-designation ( endonym ) Rasenna the Etruscans, although Rhaitoí / Raeti is viewed in contrast to the Etruscan case as exonym. A better impression makes the thought Rhaetians had formed a cult community that clung to the actually Veneto, revered in Este fertility goddess Reitia ( Oswald Menghin ).

Culture

As far as the Rhaetians are to be identified with the → Fritz - Sanzeno culture, is to refer to the information on this. In addition, have the Rhaetians cultural in the narrow sense in common with " supposed" Rhaetians and other alpine neighboring nations such as Noriker and Vindelikern. Archeology shows that the diet was based mainly on agriculture with them. Bones rarely come from red deer and wild boar ( from hunting ), mostly rather of domestic cattle, sheep, goat, pig house, besides also of dog and horse ( pets). According to Strabo negotiated inhabitants of the Alps, inter alia, with raisins, resin, Kienholz, wax, honey, cheese.