Elusates

The Elusates were an Aquitani tribe dwelling in the modern Gers department, around present-day Eauze, during the Iron Age and the Roman period.

Aquitani tribes at both sides of the Pyrenees.
Coins of the Elusates 5th-1st century BC.

They were subdued by Caesar's legatus Publius Crassus in 56 BC.

Name

They are mentioned as Elusates by Caesar (mid-1st c. BC) and Pliny (1st c. AD),[1] and as Elusa on the Tabula Peutingeriana (5th c. AD).[2]

The etymology of the ethnonym Elusates remains uncertain, but the root elus(a)- is generally presumed to be of Aquitanian origin. Alternatively, a connection with the Celtic root *elu(o)- ('numerous') has also been proposed.[2]

The city of Eauze, attested in the 4th century AD as civitas Elusa, is named after the tribe.[3]

Geography

The Elusates dwelled south of the Sotiates, north of the Onobrisates, east of the Tarusates, west of the Lactorates, and northwest of the Ausci.[4]

The pre-Roman oppidum of Esbérous was located 3km northwest of Eauze.[5]

During the Roman period, their chief town was known as Elusa (modern Eauze). Made a Roman colonia in the early 3rd century AD, Elusa is documented as the capital of the province of Novempopulana by the Notitia Galliarum in the 4th century.[5][6] The settlement of Tasta, mentioned by Pliny, may be identified with the city since the field that partly covers the ancient Elusa is called La Taste.[5]

See also

References
  1. Caesar. Commentarii de Bello Gallico, 3:27:1; Pliny. Naturalis Historia, 4:108.
  2. Falileyev 2010, s.v. Elusates and Elusa.
  3. Nègre 1990, p. 55.
  4. Talbert 2000, Map 25: Hispania Tarraconensis.
  5. Cleary & Simon 2004, p. 417.
  6. Olshausen 2006.

Bibliography
  • Cleary, Esmonde; Simon, A. (2004). "Éauze / Elusa (Gers)". Supplément à la Revue archéologique du centre de la France. 25 (1): 417–418. ISSN 1951-6207.
  • Falileyev, Alexander (2010). Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-names: A Celtic Companion to the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. CMCS. ISBN 978-0955718236.
  • Nègre, Ernest (1990). Toponymie générale de la France (in French). Librairie Droz. ISBN 978-2-600-02883-7.
  • Olshausen, Eckart (2006). "Elusa". Brill’s New Pauly. doi:10.1163/1574-9347_bnp_e329640.
  • Talbert, Richard J. A. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691031699.

Further reading
  • Agrinier, Pierre (1992). Le trésor d'Eauze. APAMP. ISBN 978-2-905564-20-7.


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