Uxellodunum
Encyclopedia
Uxellodunum is an iron age
hill fort
, or oppidum
, located above the river Dordogne
near the modern-day French village of Vayrac
in the Lot department. This stronghold lay within the lands of the Cadurci tribe
. According to Aulus Hirtius
in his addendum to Julius Caesar
's Commentaries on the Gallic War
, the last revolt against Rome's authority in Gaul
occurred here, and was brutally punished.
The Commentaries on the Gallic War describe Uxellodunum as being strongly fortified by its natural position, with a river dividing the valley below that almost surrounded the steep craggy mountain on which the citadel was built.
The name apparently means "high fort"; "dun
" is a Celtic word for fort which is to be found in many place-names.
in his book Stratagems
.
The siege began after Lucterius
, the leader of the Cadurci, and Drapes from the Senones
, prepared Uxellodunum against a Roman assault.
Caesar's commander in the area, the legate
Gaius Caninius Rebilus
, deployed his two legion
s. Informed by letter of the situation, Caesar decided to take personal charge of the siege.
Charles Athanase Walckenaer
asserted that Uxellodunum was to be identified with the village of Capdenac
on the Lot River
. However, archaeological work has since validated the theory that the oppidum in question was at Puy d'Issolud, Vayrac. Weapons have been found there and also features which have been interpreted as relating to the water transfer described in the historical account of the siege. This site (44.95°N 1.68°W)
was officially recognised by the French Ministry of Culture in 2001.
Various finds from Puy d'Issolud are displayed in Martel, Lot
at the Musée d'Uxellodunum, housed in a historic building, the Palais de la Raymondie.
There is also a Musée Uxellodunum in Vayrac. There have been proposals to develop "quality" tourism at the site itself, which as at 2008 lacked interpretative material for the visitor.
Iron Age
The Iron Age is the archaeological period generally occurring after the Bronze Age, marked by the prevalent use of iron. The early period of the age is characterized by the widespread use of iron or steel. The adoption of such material coincided with other changes in society, including differing...
hill fort
Hill fort
A hill fort is a type of earthworks used as a fortified refuge or defended settlement, located to exploit a rise in elevation for defensive advantage. They are typically European and of the Bronze and Iron Ages. Some were used in the post-Roman period...
, or oppidum
Oppidum
Oppidum is a Latin word meaning the main settlement in any administrative area of ancient Rome. The word is derived from the earlier Latin ob-pedum, "enclosed space," possibly from the Proto-Indo-European *pedóm-, "occupied space" or "footprint."Julius Caesar described the larger Celtic Iron Age...
, located above the river Dordogne
Dordogne River
The Dordogne is a river in south-central and southwest France.-Name:Contrary to appearances, the name of the Dordogne is not a recent word resulting from the names of the Dore and the Dogne...
near the modern-day French village of Vayrac
Vayrac
Vayrac is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France....
in the Lot department. This stronghold lay within the lands of the Cadurci tribe
Tribe
A tribe, viewed historically or developmentally, consists of a social group existing before the development of, or outside of, states.Many anthropologists use the term tribal society to refer to societies organized largely on the basis of kinship, especially corporate descent groups .Some theorists...
. According to Aulus Hirtius
Aulus Hirtius
Aulus Hirtius was one of the consuls of the Roman Republic and a writer on military subjects.He was known to have been a legate of Julius Caesar's starting around 54 BC and served as an envoy to Pompey in 50. During the Roman Civil Wars he served in Spain, he might have been a tribune in 48, and...
in his addendum to 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....
's Commentaries on the Gallic War
Commentarii de Bello Gallico
Commentarii de Bello Gallico is Julius Caesar's firsthand account of the Gallic Wars, written as a third-person narrative. In it Caesar describes the battles and intrigues that took place in the nine years he spent fighting local armies in Gaul that opposed Roman domination.The "Gaul" that Caesar...
, the last revolt against Rome's authority in Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
occurred here, and was brutally punished.
The Commentaries on the Gallic War describe Uxellodunum as being strongly fortified by its natural position, with a river dividing the valley below that almost surrounded the steep craggy mountain on which the citadel was built.
The name apparently means "high fort"; "dun
Dun
Dun is now used both as a generic term for a fort and also for a specific variety of Atlantic roundhouse...
" is a Celtic word for fort which is to be found in many place-names.
Description of siege
The main source of information about the siege in 51 BC is Book 8 of the Commentaries on the Gallic War. The siege is also mentioned briefly by the engineer Sextus Julius FrontinusSextus Julius Frontinus
Sextus Julius Frontinus was one of the most distinguished Roman aristocrats of the late 1st century AD, but is best known to the post-Classical world as an author of technical treatises, especially one dealing with the aqueducts of Rome....
in his book Stratagems
Stratagems (book)
Stratagems is a work by Frontinus, a collection of examples of military stratagems from Greek and Roman history, ostensibly for the use of generals...
.
The siege began after Lucterius
Lucterius
Lucterius was a leader of the Carduci, a Celtic people whose territory was located around Cahors in the modern French department of Lot. In the 50s BC, the Cadurci were under the rule of the Arverni, the civitas of Vercingetorix, under whom Lucterius served during the last stages of the Gallic Wars...
, the leader of the Cadurci, and Drapes from the Senones
Senones
The Senones were an ancient Gaulish tribe.In about 400 BC they crossed the Alps and, having driven out the Umbrians settled on the east coast of Italy from Forlì to Ancona, in the so-called ager Gallicus, and founded the town of Sena Gallica , which became their capital. In 391 BC they invaded...
, prepared Uxellodunum against a Roman assault.
Caesar's commander in the area, the legate
Legatus
A legatus was a general in the Roman army, equivalent to a modern general officer. Being of senatorial rank, his immediate superior was the dux, and he outranked all military tribunes...
Gaius Caninius Rebilus
Gaius Caninius Rebilus
Gaius Caninius Rebilus, a member of the plebeian gens Caninia, was a Roman general and politician. As a reward for devoted service, Julius Caesar appointed him consul suffectus in 45 BC....
, deployed his two legion
Roman legion
A Roman legion normally indicates the basic ancient Roman army unit recruited specifically from Roman citizens. The organization of legions varied greatly over time but they were typically composed of perhaps 5,000 soldiers, divided into maniples and later into "cohorts"...
s. Informed by letter of the situation, Caesar decided to take personal charge of the siege.
Commentaries, Book 8
( Latin)Location and conservation of site
There has been long-running controversy as to the location of Uxellodunum.Charles Athanase Walckenaer
Charles Athanase Walckenaer
Baron Charles Athanase Walckenaer was a French civil servant and scientist.-Biography:Walckenaer was born in Paris and studied at the universities of Oxford and Glasgow. In 1793 he was appointed head of the military transports in the Pyrenees, after which he pursued technical studies at the École...
asserted that Uxellodunum was to be identified with the village of Capdenac
Capdenac
Capdenac is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France.It has been inhabited since prehistoric times. At one time Capdenac was thought to be identifiable as the Gaulish settlement of Uxellodunum which was besieged by Julius Caesar, but this theory has been discredited....
on the Lot River
Lot River
The Lot, , originally the Olt , is a river in France, right tributary of the Garonne. It rises in the Cévennes, flowing west through Quercy, where it flows into the Garonne near Aiguillon, a total distance of...
. However, archaeological work has since validated the theory that the oppidum in question was at Puy d'Issolud, Vayrac. Weapons have been found there and also features which have been interpreted as relating to the water transfer described in the historical account of the siege. This site (44.95°N 1.68°W)
was officially recognised by the French Ministry of Culture in 2001.
Various finds from Puy d'Issolud are displayed in Martel, Lot
Martel, Lot
Martel is a commune in the Lot department in south-western France.The town has a distinctive sky-line with medieval towers. There is a museum containing items from Puy d'Issolud, a local Gallic archaeological site which has been identified as Uxellodunum, besieged by Julius Caesar in 51 BC.Henry...
at the Musée d'Uxellodunum, housed in a historic building, the Palais de la Raymondie.
There is also a Musée Uxellodunum in Vayrac. There have been proposals to develop "quality" tourism at the site itself, which as at 2008 lacked interpretative material for the visitor.