Caius Julius Vercondaridubnus
Encyclopedia
Gaius Julius Vercondaridubnus (fl.
1st century BCE) was a Gaul
of the civitas
of the Aedui
. He was the first high priest (sacerdos) of the Altar of the Deified Caesar at Lugdunum
(modern Lyon
, France), which was inaugurated August 1 in either 12 or 10 BCE at the confluence
of the Saône
and Rhone
rivers. The dating of the inauguration to 12 would connect it to the year in which Augustus
assumed the office of pontifex maximus
.
The Imperial cult
at Lugdunum was the first and most important in the Western empire. It was established by Drusus
, the stepson of Augustus, in the wake of a Gallic rebellion. Representatives from more than 60 Gallic nations attended. The date of August 1 seems to have been chosen to honor Augustus, being the Kalends
of the month newly renamed after him, and in the Celtic calendar
also a significant date, later celebrated as Lughnasadh
.
In addition to his priesthood of the Imperial cult
for the Three Gauls (Tres Galliae), Vercondaridubnus held Roman citizenship
. He also had a role in his provincial
deliberative body (concilium), which had legal power to negotiate with the Roman administration. Although the priesthood was an annual office, its holders would have held great influence thereafter. As the most notable men of the Three Gauls were invited to the inaugural ceremony, Vercondaridubnus would have been someone of great consequence to both Romans and Gauls in his province. The Aedui had been allies of Rome since the 120s BCE, with the relationship expressed formally as that of “brothers” (fratres), and in the 1st century AD produced the first Roman senators
from Gallia Comata.
The name Gaius Julius Vercondaridubnus is a hybrid of Latin
and Celtic
nomenclature. His Latin praenomen
and nomen
are markers of his citizenship; he may have assumed the name Gaius Julius in honour of Gaius Julius Caesar
(as the divus Julius of Imperial cult). His father, like other Gaii Julii of the Aedui, may even have been granted Roman citizenship directly by Caesar in the aftermath of the Gallic Wars
, since it was customary for naturalized citizens to take the gentilic
name of their patron
. The Celtic personal name
Vercondaridubnus has been interpreted as meaning “The Dark One of Great Wrath.” The prefix
ver- is hierarchical
(“above, highest, supreme”); con- (com-) is combinative (“with”) or intensive
. The element dari- refers to a violent emotion such as rage
. Dubn- is a relatively common Celtic element meaning “dark, shadowy,” perhaps “hidden, secret” and hence “deep, profound”; as a noun, dubnos can mean “the Deep World,” i.e., the underworld
. Since Vercondaridubnus was a priest, this meaning of dubnos may apply.
In the 1st century CE, the successors of Vercondaridubnus included Marcus Lucterius Sencianus of the Cadurces and Gaius Julius Rufus of the Santones
.
Floruit
Floruit , abbreviated fl. , is a Latin verb meaning "flourished", denoting the period of time during which something was active...
1st century BCE) was a Gaul
Gauls
The Gauls were a Celtic people living in Gaul, the region roughly corresponding to what is now France, Belgium, Switzerland and Northern Italy, from the Iron Age through the Roman period. They mostly spoke the Continental Celtic language called Gaulish....
of the civitas
Civitas
In the history of Rome, the Latin term civitas , according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the cives, or citizens, united by law . It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities on the one hand and rights of citizenship on the other...
of the Aedui
Aedui
Aedui, Haedui or Hedui , were a Gallic people of Gallia Lugdunensis, who inhabited the country between the Arar and Liger , in today's France. Their territory thus included the greater part of the modern departments of Saône-et-Loire, Côte-d'Or and Nièvre.-Geography:The country of the Aedui is...
. He was the first high priest (sacerdos) of the Altar of the Deified Caesar at Lugdunum
Lugdunum
Colonia Copia Claudia Augusta Lugdunum was an important Roman city in Gaul. The city was founded in 43 BC by Lucius Munatius Plancus. It served as the capital of the Roman province Gallia Lugdunensis. To 300 years after its foundation Lugdunum was the most important city to the west part of Roman...
(modern Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
, France), which was inaugurated August 1 in either 12 or 10 BCE at the confluence
Confluence
Confluence, in geography, describes the meeting of two or more bodies of water.Confluence may also refer to:* Confluence , a property of term rewriting systems...
of the Saône
Saône
The Saône is a river of eastern France. It is a right tributary of the River Rhône. Rising at Vioménil in the Vosges department, it joins the Rhône in Lyon....
and Rhone
Rhône
Rhone can refer to:* Rhone, one of the major rivers of Europe, running through Switzerland and France* Rhône Glacier, the source of the Rhone River and one of the primary contributors to Lake Geneva in the far eastern end of the canton of Valais in Switzerland...
rivers. The dating of the inauguration to 12 would connect it to the year in which Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
assumed the office of pontifex maximus
Pontifex Maximus
The Pontifex Maximus was the high priest of the College of Pontiffs in ancient Rome. This was the most important position in the ancient Roman religion, open only to patricians until 254 BC, when a plebeian first occupied this post...
.
The Imperial cult
Imperial cult (ancient Rome)
The Imperial cult of ancient Rome identified emperors and some members of their families with the divinely sanctioned authority of the Roman State...
at Lugdunum was the first and most important in the Western empire. It was established by Drusus
Nero Claudius Drusus
Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus , born Decimus Claudius Drusus also called Drusus, Drusus I, Nero Drusus, or Drusus the Elder was a Roman politician and military commander. He was a fully patrician Claudian on his father's side but his maternal grandmother was from a plebeian family...
, the stepson of Augustus, in the wake of a Gallic rebellion. Representatives from more than 60 Gallic nations attended. The date of August 1 seems to have been chosen to honor Augustus, being the Kalends
Kalends
The Calends , correspond to the first days of each month of the Roman calendar. The Romans assigned these calends to the first day of the month, signifying the start of the new moon cycle...
of the month newly renamed after him, and in the Celtic calendar
Celtic calendar
The Celtic calendar is a compilation of pre-Christian Celtic systems of timekeeping, including the Gaulish Coligny calendar, used by Celtic countries to define the beginning and length of the day, the week, the month, the seasons, quarter days, and festivals....
also a significant date, later celebrated as Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh
Lughnasadh is a traditional Gaelic holiday celebrated on 1 August. It is in origin a harvest festival, corresponding to the Welsh Calan Awst and the English Lammas.-Name:...
.
In addition to his priesthood of the Imperial cult
Imperial cult (ancient Rome)
The Imperial cult of ancient Rome identified emperors and some members of their families with the divinely sanctioned authority of the Roman State...
for the Three Gauls (Tres Galliae), Vercondaridubnus held Roman citizenship
Roman citizenship
Citizenship in ancient Rome was a privileged political and legal status afforded to certain free-born individuals with respect to laws, property, and governance....
. He also had a role in his provincial
Roman province
In Ancient Rome, a province was the basic, and, until the Tetrarchy , largest territorial and administrative unit of the empire's territorial possessions outside of Italy...
deliberative body (concilium), which had legal power to negotiate with the Roman administration. Although the priesthood was an annual office, its holders would have held great influence thereafter. As the most notable men of the Three Gauls were invited to the inaugural ceremony, Vercondaridubnus would have been someone of great consequence to both Romans and Gauls in his province. The Aedui had been allies of Rome since the 120s BCE, with the relationship expressed formally as that of “brothers” (fratres), and in the 1st century AD produced the first Roman senators
Roman Senate
The Senate of the Roman Republic was a political institution in the ancient Roman Republic, however, it was not an elected body, but one whose members were appointed by the consuls, and later by the censors. After a magistrate served his term in office, it usually was followed with automatic...
from Gallia Comata.
The name Gaius Julius Vercondaridubnus is a hybrid of Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
and Celtic
Celtic languages
The Celtic languages are descended from Proto-Celtic, or "Common Celtic"; a branch of the greater Indo-European language family...
nomenclature. His Latin praenomen
Praenomen
The praenomen was a personal name chosen by the parents of a Roman child. It was first bestowed on the dies lustricus , the eighth day after the birth of a girl, or the ninth day after the birth of a boy...
and nomen
Roman naming conventions
By the Republican era and throughout the Imperial era, a name in ancient Rome for a male citizen consisted of three parts : praenomen , nomen and cognomen...
are markers of his citizenship; he may have assumed the name Gaius Julius in honour of Gaius Julius Caesar
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....
(as the divus Julius of Imperial cult). His father, like other Gaii Julii of the Aedui, may even have been granted Roman citizenship directly by Caesar in the aftermath of the Gallic Wars
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were a series of military campaigns waged by the Roman proconsul Julius Caesar against several Gallic tribes. They lasted from 58 BC to 51 BC. The Gallic Wars culminated in the decisive Battle of Alesia in 52 BC, in which a complete Roman victory resulted in the expansion of the...
, since it was customary for naturalized citizens to take the gentilic
Gens
In ancient Rome, a gens , plural gentes, referred to a family, consisting of all those individuals who shared the same nomen and claimed descent from a common ancestor. A branch of a gens was called a stirps . The gens was an important social structure at Rome and throughout Italy during the...
name of their patron
Patronage in ancient Rome
Patronage was the distinctive relationship in ancient Roman society between the patronus and his client . The relationship was hierarchical, but obligations were mutual. The patronus was the protector, sponsor, and benefactor of the client...
. The Celtic personal name
Personal name
A personal name is the proper name identifying an individual person, and today usually comprises a given name bestowed at birth or at a young age plus a surname. It is nearly universal for a human to have a name; except in rare cases, for example feral children growing up in isolation, or infants...
Vercondaridubnus has been interpreted as meaning “The Dark One of Great Wrath.” The prefix
Prefix
A prefix is an affix which is placed before the root of a word. Particularly in the study of languages,a prefix is also called a preformative, because it alters the form of the words to which it is affixed.Examples of prefixes:...
ver- is hierarchical
Hierarchy
A hierarchy is an arrangement of items in which the items are represented as being "above," "below," or "at the same level as" one another...
(“above, highest, supreme”); con- (com-) is combinative (“with”) or intensive
Intensive
In grammar, an intensive word form is one which denotes stronger or more forceful action relative to the root on which the intensive is built. Intensives are usually lexical formations, but there may be a regular process for forming intensives from a root...
. The element dari- refers to a violent emotion such as rage
Rage (emotion)
Rage is a feeling of intense anger. It is associated with the Fight-or-flight response and oftentimes activated in response to an external cue, such as the murder of a loved one. The phrase, 'thrown into a fit of rage,' expresses the immediate nature of rage that occurs before deliberation. If left...
. Dubn- is a relatively common Celtic element meaning “dark, shadowy,” perhaps “hidden, secret” and hence “deep, profound”; as a noun, dubnos can mean “the Deep World,” i.e., the underworld
Underworld
The Underworld is a region which is thought to be under the surface of the earth in some religions and in mythologies. It could be a place where the souls of the recently departed go, and in some traditions it is identified with Hell or the realm of death...
. Since Vercondaridubnus was a priest, this meaning of dubnos may apply.
In the 1st century CE, the successors of Vercondaridubnus included Marcus Lucterius Sencianus of the Cadurces and Gaius Julius Rufus of the Santones
Santones
The Santones or Santoni were a tribe of ancient Gaul located in the modern region of Saintonge and around the city of Saintes, city to which they gave their name. The Romans occupied the territory of the Santones from the 1st century BC....
.