- Dumnorix
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Dumnorix (given on coins as Dubnoreix) was a chieftain of the Aedui, a Celtic tribe in Gaul in the 1st century B.C. He was strongly against alliance with the Romans, particularly Julius Caesar, who sparred with him on several occasions. Dumnorix, Orgetorix of the Helvetii and Casticus of the Sequani were said to be conspiring to establish a Gallic triumvirate to replace the existing magistracies of the Gallic peoples shortly before Caesar's governorship. To strengthen the alliance, Orgetorix gave Dumnorix his daughter in marriage. The conspiracy was discovered and put a stop to by the Helvetii.
In 58 BC, the first year of Caesar's governorship, Dumnorix used his influence to persuade the Sequani to allow the Helvetii to migrate through their territory. Caesar opposed this migration militarily, and requested the Aedui, who were allies of Rome, to supply his soldiers with grain, but this was not forthcoming. Liscus, the chief magistrate or Vergobretus of the Aedui, revealed to Caesar that Dumnorix, who was very popular and influential, was responsible for the withholding of the supplies. Caesar also discovered that Dumnorix had been in command of a unit of cavalry, sent to his aid by the Aedui, whose flight had cost him a cavalry engagement. Dumnorix was spared any serious retribution at the request of his brother Diviciacus, who had good relations with Caesar and the Romans. Caesar agreed instead to place Dumnorix under surveillance.
Dumnorix continued to be troublesome, and in 54 BC was one of the Gaulish leaders Caesar proposed to take with him as hostages on his second expedition to Britain, fearing that they might cause trouble in his absence. Dumnorix pleaded his fear of the sea and religious obligations in an attempt to get Caesar to leave him behind. When this failed, he claimed that Caesar intended to have them all killed out of sight of their people. Finally, he attempted to escape from Caesar's camp along with the Aeduan cavalry. Caesar sent the rest of the cavalry after him, and Dumnorix was killed, shouting that he was "a free man and a citizen of a free state". The rest of the Aeduan cavalry returned to Caesar's service.
His name, like other Gaulish language names (Orgetorix, Vercingetorix) contains a -rix suffix which is etymologically related to the Latin rex, Gaelic rí, Sanskrit rāja- and German Reich, indicating kingship or rule; it is probably an aristocratic suffix. Dumno- is etymologically related to the Gaelic domhan "world", indicating that the name may be translated as "king of the world".
Popular culture
A character named Dumnorix has appeared in the prologue tutorial of the original Rome: Total War, as a Gallic general. Dumnorix has also appeared in several missions of the game PC Praetorians. This name also appears in Eluveitie's song (Do)minion from the Everything Remains (As It Never Was) album.
References
External links
Categories:- Gallic rulers
- Ancient Gauls
- 1st-century BC European rulers
- Aedui
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