NEW DATA ON THE USE OF TERM RAETIA-VINDELICIA ISTVÁN GERGŐ FARKAS In the previous two decades, the topic of Raetia’s occupation became a focal point in Roman provincial history.1 These recent publications have dealt with many aspects of early Raetian history and the organization of the province. The aim of this paper is to elaborate the reasons behind the use of the terms Raetia and Vindelicia, via the collection and synopsis of contemporaneous literary sources up to 476 (Table 4),2 epigraphical sources, and the results of archaeological excavations and find-material analysis, presented in chronological order. Introduction The Roman province known as Raetia is located in Central-Europe and its territory is presently divided amongst four countries: the northern part of Raetia is occupied by the two southernmost German states – Baden- Württemberg and Bavaria. Raetia’s southwestern part belongs to Switzerland and Lichtenstein, its southeastern part to Austria’s two westernmost states – Vorarlberg and Tyrol.3 At its greatest extent, Raetia covered an area of approx. 80.000 km2:4 Graeci et quidam nostri XXV oram Germaniae tradiderunt, Agrippa cum Raetia et Norico longitudinem DCXXXVI, latitudinem CCXLVIII, Raetiae prope unius maiore latitudine, sane circa excessum eius subactae; nam Germania multis postea annis nec tota percognita est, Agrippa 21. 1 USLER (1996: 155–213); LANG (2003: 72–79); DIETZ (2004a: 1–23); DIETZ (2008: 10–22); STROBEL (2009: 437–509). 2 Although 476 was designated as the end date for the inclusion of auctors, a significant number of works edited in subsequent centuries reflect on events of Raetian history and aspects of provincial life, e.g. Evgipp. Sev. 15,1; Provinc. laterc. 10,9; Cassiod. var. 1,4; Chron. ecc. ann. 2002; 2012. 3 RBy (1995: 18), SOMMER (2008: 207–208). 4 Cf. Plin. nat. 4,98; Ptol. Geog. 1,16. István Gergő Farkas It stretched from the high summits of the Alps northward through a hill-country rich in rivers all the way to the Schwäbische Alb (Swabian Jura) Mountains: Pannonia, Noricus et Raetia habent ab oriente Moesiam, a meridie Histriam, ab africo Alpes Poeninas, ab occasu Galliam Belgicam, a circio Danubii fontem et limitem, qui Germaniam a Gallia inter Danubium Galliamque secernit, a septemtrione Danubium et Germaniam. (…) [Alpium] quae a Gallico mari super Ligusticum sinum exsurgentes, primum Narbonensium fines, deinde Galliam Raetiamque secludunt, donec in sinu Liburnico defigantur, Oros. hist. 1,2,60–61. Raeti and Vindelici in the light of Roman sources Geographical and Social conditions in Raetia before Roman occupation Preceding Roman occupation, the area later organised as the province of Raetia was controlled by numerous Celtic tribes (Figure 1): Incolae Alpium multi populi, sed inlustres a Pola ad Tergestis regionem Fecusses, Subocrini, Catali, Menoncaleni iuxtaque Carnos quondam Taurisci appellati, nunc Norici. His contermini Raeti et Vindolici, omnes in multas civitates divisi. Raetos Tuscorum prolem arbitrantur a Gallis pulsos duce Raeto. Verso deinde in Italiam pectore Alpium Latini iuris Euganeae gentes, quarum oppida XXXIIII enumerat Cato, Plin. nat. 3,54. Tusci quoque duce Raeto avitis sedibus amissis Alpes occupavere et ex nomine ducis gentem Raetorum condiderunt, Iust. 20,5,9. It is clear that there was little consent among ancient literary accounts regarding the ethnic status of tribes located in the subsequent province of Raetia.5 It is beyond doubt however, that all these tribes were collectively referred to as Raeti and Vindelici, both being Celtic terms.6 The slopes of the Alps stood under the supervision of the Alpine tribes.7 Two of these tribes—the Breuni and Genauni—are listed by Strabo as Illyrians: Οἱ δὲ Ὀυινδολικοὶ καὶ Νωρικοὶ τὴν ἐκτὸς παρώρειαν κατέχουσι τὸ πλέον μετὰ Βρεύνων καὶ Γεναύνων, ἤδη τούτων Ἰλλυριῶν, Str. Geog. 4,6,8,4: 5 GRIMMEISEN (1997); DIETZ (2004a: 14–15; table 2). 6 Raeti: LANG (2003: 80); Vindelici: DIETZ et al. (2007: 446). 7 CIL 52 (1959: 7817); Plin. nat. 3,136–137. 190 New data on the use of term Raetia-Vindelicia Areas outside the range of the Alps, bordering its northeastern slopes, were under supervision of several tribes which were collectively called Vindelici.8 Strabo listed five tribes that belonged to the Vindelici: Licat(t)ii, Clautenatii, Vennones, Estiones and the Brigantii: Iταμώτατοι δὲ τῶν μὲν Ὀυινδολικῶν ἐξητάζοντο (1) Λικάττιοι καὶ (2) Κλαυτηνάτιοι καὶ (3) Ὀυέννωνες, τῶν δὲ Ῥαιτῶν Ῥουκάντιοι καὶ Κωτουάντιοι. καὶ οἱ (4) Ἐστίωνες δὲ τῶν Ὀυινδολικῶν εἰσὶ καὶ (5) Βριγάντιοι, καὶ πόλεις αὐτῶν (a) Βριγάντιον καὶ (b) Καμβόδουνον καὶ ἡ τῶν Λικαττίων ὥσπερ ἀκρόπολις (c) Δαμασία, Str. Geog. 4,6,8,6–7. The Tropaeum Alpium listed four nations belonging to the Vindelici without further distinguishing them.9 Strabo considered Rucantii and Cotiantii as Raetian tribes.10 Pliny the Elder reckoned the Vennones (considered Vindelican by Strabo) to the Raeti as well as the Sarunetes, who both occupied the area neighbouring the source of the Rhine: Raetorum Vennonienses Sarunetesque ortus Rheni amnis accolunt, Plin. nat. 3,135. He stated that the region south of the Danube belonged to the Raeti all the way to the Norican Kingdom which bordered Raetian territories from the east: A tergo Carnorum et Iapudum, qua se fert mangus Hister, Raetis iunguntur Norici, Plin. nat. 3,146. The river Inn (Aenus, cf. Pons Aeni) and its longest affluent, the Salzach, acted as a natural barrier between these two regions:11 Ripam Aeni fluminis, quod Raetos Noricosque interfluit, Tac. hist. 3,5,6. These rivers acted also as the occasional barriers separating the Gallic and Illyrian districts of taxes and customs (portorium),12 as from time to time Raetia had been rated from one to the other.13 Raetia’s belonging to the Illyrian district is reflected by Appian: 8 Str. Geog. 4,6,8,4. 9 2 CIL 5 (1959: 7817); Plin. nat. 3,136–137. 10 Str. Geog. 4,6,8,6. 11 Tac. hist. 3,5,6. 12 STEIDL (2008: 77–84); SOMMER (2008: 208). 13 KÜNZL (1996: 2458). 191 István Gergő Farkas Ῥωμαῖοι δὲ καὶ τούσδε καὶ Παίονας ἐπ᾽ αὐτοῖς καὶ Ῥαιτοὺς καὶ Νωρικοὺς καὶ Μυσοὺς τοὺς ἐν Εὐρώτῃ, καὶ ὅσα ἄλλα ὅμορα τούτοις ἐν δεξιᾷ τοῦ Ἴστρου καταπλέοντι ᾤκηται, διαιροῦσι μὲν ὁμοίως τοῖς Ἕλλησιν ἀπὸ Ἑλλήνων, καὶ καλοῦσι τοῖς ἰδίοις ἑκάστους ὀνόμασι, κοινῇ δὲ πάντας Ἰλλυρίδα ἡγοῦνται, App. Illyr. 6,1. It is uncertain how much the Romans knew of autochthonous settlements, as all of the geographical summaries and lists were completed after Raetia’s organization (Table 1). Strabo wrote that the settlements of the Brigantii and Estiones were named Brigantium, Cambodunum and that of the Licatii, Damasia.14 Pliny the Elder listed four oppida located in North Italy as Raetian: Feltria (alternatively spelt Fertria, present-day Feltre), Tridentum (present-day Trento), Breuna (unidentified) and Verona.15 Feltrini et Tridentini et Beruenses Raetica oppida, Raetorum et Euganeorum Verona, Iulienses Carnorum, Plin. nat. 3,130. In the 160s, Claudius Ptolemy edited a fundamental list of settlements (and their geographical data) in Raetia and Vindelicia.16 Several subsequent geographers have based their work on Ptolemy’s data.17 Raetia18 Vindelicia19 Settlements along Settlements along Settlements South of the the Danube the Rhine along the Danube Danube Bragodurum Tasgaetium Artobriga Augusta Alkimoennis Brigantium Boiodurum Vindelicum Viana Vico Carrodunum Faviana Ebodurum Abodiacum Drusomagus Cambodunum Octodurus Medullum Inutrium Table 1. Claudius Ptolemy’s list of settlements in Raetia and Vindelicia20 Currently the most extensive list of Raetian settlements is the one edited by H. Bender who cross-checked ancient itineraries with archaeological 14 Str. Geog. 4,6,8,7. 15 Plin. nat. 14,3. 16 Ptol. Geog. 2,1. 17 Divisio orb. 10; Dimens. provinc. 19; DIETZ (2004a: 4–8). 18 Ptol. Geog. 2,12. 19 ibid. 2,13. 20 Latin transcript based on DIETZ (2004a: 12–13, table 1). 192 New data on the use of term Raetia-Vindelicia data.21 He identified most of the ancient toponyms with present-day settlements and plotted known Raetian settlements on a map. No literary records made by these tribes themselves – presuming that they had any – survived from the times preceding Roman occupation. For this reason, one can reconstruct their history and living conditions only via the necessarily subjective testament of contemporary and subsequent ancient literary sources. The Greek geographer, Strabo was the first to document the autochthonous conditions of Raetia in his geographical and historial work, the Geographica (Geógraphika hypomnémata). He reflects on a province which has two keenly dissimilar aspects: on one side, a fertile hill-country stretching between the Alps and the Danube which was well suited for agriculture and where many had settled in the sheltered dales: Κατὰ πᾶσαν δὲ τὴν τῶν Ἄλπεων ὀρεινὴν ἔστι μὲν καὶ γεώλοφα χωρίακαλῶς γεωργεῖσθαι δυνάμενα καὶ αὐλῶνες εὖ συνεκτισμένοι, τὸ μέντοι πλέον καὶμάλιστα περὶ τὰς κορυφάς, περὶ ὃ δὴ καὶ συνίσταντο οἱ λῃσταί, λυπρὸν καὶ ἄκαρπονδιά τε τὰς πάχνας καὶ τὴν τραχύτητα τῆς γῆς, Str. Geog. 4,6,9,3. On the other hand, a significant area of the province is occupied by the barren and sparsely populated Alpine chain. Besides the wintry climate and meagre soil, highwaymen gathered in the ravines who often plundered the inhabitants of nearby lands: Κατὰ σπάνιν οὖν τροφῆς τε καὶ ἄλλωνἐφείδοντο ἔσθ᾽ ὅτε τῶν ἐν τοῖς πεδίοις, ἵν᾽ ἔχοιεν χορηγούς: ἀντεδίδοσαν δὲ ῥητίνηνπίτταν δᾷδα κηρὸν τυρὸν μέλι: τούτων γὰρ εὐπόρουν. ὑπέρκειται δὲ τῶν Κάρνων τὸ Ἀπέννινον ὄρος, λίμνην ἔχον ἐξιεῖσαν εἰς τὸν Ἀτησῖνον ποταμόν, ὃς παραλαβὼνἌταγιν ἄλλον ποταμὸν εἰς τὸν Ἀδρίαν ἐκβάλλει, Str. Geog. 4,6,9,4. Numerous rivers and streams intersected Raetia which all were rapid- flowing near their alpine river-heads and thus unnavigable: Prima trans Alpes arma nostra sensere Saluvii, cum de incursionibus eorum fidissima atque amicissima civitas Massilia quereretur; Allobroges deinde et Arverni, cum adversus eos similes Haeduorum querelae opem et auxilium nostrum flagitarent; utriusque victoriae testes Isara et Vindelicus amnes et inpiger fluminum Rhodanus, Flor.