Bituriges

The Bituriges (lat. usually Bituriges, also Biturigiae ) were a Celtic tribe in Gaul. The Gallic name means "world king / ruler of the world " ( " eternal ruler ").

The Bituriges settled in Aquitaine and were neighbors of the Aedui and Karnuten from which they were separated by the Loire. Its main towns were Avaricum (today Bourges ) and Noviodunum (today Neuvy -sur- Baranjon ), in addition, there were more than 20 smaller places. As Livy reported were the Bituriges around 550 BC, the powerful Gallic tribe, they found the king over all the Celts, Ambicatus. To combat overpopulation, the ordered his nephew Bellovesus and Segovesus to emigrate to a part of the Gallic people. Segovesus brought his protégés in the Hercynian forest, Bellovesus led his to northern Italy, which was henceforth called by the Romans Cisalpine Gaul.

In the Gallic War, the area was the Bituriges during the Gallic uprising under Vercingetorix in 52 BC scene of fighting against Caesar. This had initially taken the biturigische Noviodunum. Then Vercingetorix ordered a strategy of scorched earth and let burn 20 hardly defensible places of Bituriges, so that the local stocks would not fall into the hands of the Roman troops. Only the main town Avaricum should be defended at the request of Bituriges. Caesar, however, succeeded after a siege in the battle for Avaricum to conquer this. The first Bituriges fled, but were overtaken by Caesar, and finally surrendered. Subsequently its territory was annexed to the Roman Empire. Later Bituriges rendered in the Roman army war service.

The Bituriges divided into two different strains. The Bituriges Cubi settled between the Loire and Vienne to the place Avaricum, which was later known as Bituriges or similar, from which the modern name derives Bourges. They dominated the geographical center of Gaul, the capital was the geomantic center of Gaul in its " natural limits " ( " in cubus " = in the body of Gaul ). They were the ones with whom Caesar had mainly to do, even if he does not explicitly mention her name. They were nationally known for their metal work, for which they the Elder and the late antique poet Rutilius Claudius Namatianus be praised by Strabo, Caesar, Pliny. The other tribe, the Bituriges Vivisci ( " Vivisker " of excellence, distinction), moved to Burdigala (now Bordeaux) at the mouth of the Garonne. The Vivisci were known for their viticulture, which is mentioned in Columella and Pliny.