Helvètes

The Helvètes are a whole of people Celtes or germano-Celtic, established on the territory of the Suisse current and bordering on the Germains subrhénans.

Antiquity

War of Cimbres

The first historical mention of the Helvètes is the invasion, during the episode known as of the Guerre of Cimbres, at the side of the Cimbres, the Ambrons and the Teutons, of the Gaulle Narbonnese by the troops tigurines of Divico. Winners of the Roman troops of Lucius Cassius with the Battle of Agen in -107. After a second victory with Orange in -105, the troops tigurines seems to be withdrawn of the conflict before the defeats against Gaius Marius in -102 and -101.

War of Gaules

Helvètes played a determining role in the beginning of the Guerre of Gaules by starting a migration forced towards the Saintonge after having burned their grounds, under the king Orgétorix. The reasons of this migration are obscure: they could flee in front of the Germanic pressure, or thus act on the basis of other reason in demographic or economic matter. The confederation helvète was formed in particular of the Verbigènes, the Tigurins and the Tugènes. The Tulinges and the Latobrices, German, united with them. The Boïens (Celtic) made in the same way. The case of Ambrons (can be of “ amba ”, small river) is discussed.

Jules César faced them in -58, first once on the territory of the Séquanes, in the the Saone, then with the Bataille of Bibracte, whereas they were carried out by Divico. It notes that they were 368.000 (including 92.000 warriors) at the beginning of the engagements and 110.000 at the end. These figures are of course subjects to deposit. Helvètes are driven back, but Boïens remained as a Gaulle, fixed between the Éduens and the Arverne S. It was a question of preventing that the German ones of beyond the rhine settle with the borders of the Narbonnaise, which would have constituted a direct threat for Rome. In any case, the incident made it possible to the Romans to take foot as a Gaulle. In -52, Helvètes sent despite everything a quota of 10.000 men to Vercingétorix.

External bond

Article in the Historical Dictionary of Switzerland

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