Map Description

Historical Map of Gaul in the Time of Caesar


Illustrating:

1. Belgica was the northernmost region of Gaul inhabited by the Belgae tribes, whom Caesar described as the bravest of the Gauls.
   
   
   • Portus Itius
     Caesar's primary launching point for his British expeditions, likely modern-day Boulogne-sur-Mer or nearby Wissant.
   • Bibrax
     An oppidum (fortified Iron Age settlement) of the Remi tribe that came under attack during the Belgic uprising in 57 BC. Maybe today's Saint-Thomas in northern France.
   • Caesar's Bridges:
     Caesar constructed two notable temporary bridges across the Rhine (in 55 and 53 BC), both were built in just days and deliberately dismantled after the campaigns.
   • Site of the Battle of the Sabis River (modern River Selle, not Sambre) against the Nervii, 57 BC
     
   • Rhine River (Rhenus in Latin)
     Meuse River (Mosa in Latin)
     


2. Celtic Gaul (Gallia Celtica) formed the central portion of Gaul, populated by various Celtic tribes.
   
   
   • Aremorica was the coastal region of northwestern Gaul (modern Brittany and Normandy), home to maritime tribes like the Veneti.
   • Sequana (modern Seine River)
     Liger (modern Loire River)
     Elaver (modern Allier River)
   • Important settlements:
     Lutetia: oppidum of the Parisii tribe (modern Paris)
     Vesontio: capital of the Sequani (modern Besançon)
     Bibracte: major oppidum of the Aedui (not Bibracle)
     Gergovia: stronghold of Vercingetorix and the Arverni
     Uxellodunum: final stronghold of Gallic resistance
     
   • Major battle sites:
     58 BC: Battle of the Arar (modern Saône River) against the Helvetii
     58 BC: Battle against the Helvetii near Bibracte
     58 BC: Battle against Ariovistus near the Rhine, after marching from Vesontio
     56 BC: Naval battle against the Veneti near Aremorica's coast (Bay of Quiberon)
     52 BC: Caesar's defeat at Gergovia against Vercingetorix
     52 BC: Battle of Alesia (near Avaricum) - decisive Roman victory
     51 BC: Siege of Uxellodunum - final major conflict
     
3. Aquitania (modern Aquitaine), located in southwestern Gaul between the Pyrenees and the Garonne River (Garumna), was home to about twenty tribes more closely related to the Iberians than the Celts.
   
   Burdigala (modern Bordeaux), originally founded by the Bituriges Vivisci tribe, became a key Roman city known for its wealth and vineyards.
   
4. Provincia Romana (later called Provence) was the oldest Roman territory in Gaul, established in 121 BCE along the Mediterranean coast, which served as the initial base for Caesar's campaigns into the rest of Gaul.
   
   Key settlements included:
   
   • Tolosa (modern Toulouse): Originally the capital of the Volcae Tectosages tribe before becoming an important Roman trading center.
   • Narbo Martius (modern Narbonne): Founded as Rome's first colony in Gaul in 118 BC, it became the provincial capital and a major commercial hub.
   • Massilia (modern Marseille): An ancient Greek colony allied with Rome that maintained its independence until siding against Caesar during the civil war.
   • Genava (modern Geneva): Located at the boundary between the Provincia and Celtic Gaul, it was an important settlement of the Allobroges tribe at the outlet of Lake Geneva.
   The Rhodanus (modern Rhône River) served as the main waterway through the province, connecting the Mediterranean to the interior of Gaul.
   

Credits

University of Texas at Austin. Historical Atlas by William Shepherd (1911).

Related Maps

This map of Gaul in the time of Caesar is an inset of the Map of the European Provinces of the Roman Empire

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