The Carnutes, also called the Carnuti (Gaulish: "the horned ones"), were a Gallic tribe that lived in a large area between the Sequana (Seine) and the Liger (Loire) rivers during the Iron Age and the time of the Roman Empire.

Name

The tribe is named Carnutes by Caesar and Livy in the mid- to late-first century BC, Carnūti by Tibullus in the late-first century BC, Karnoútōn and Karnoúntōn by Strabo in the early-first century AD, Karnoũtai by Ptolemy in the second century AD, and Carnunta in the Notitia Dignitatum from the fifth century AD.

The Gaulish name Carnutes means "the horned ones," likely referring to their war helmets. It comes from the Gaulish word carno- ("horn"), which is linked to the Proto-Celtic karno- ("horn, hoof," as seen in Middle Welsh carn "hoof"). The name Carnutes is connected to the Brittonic Kornouii and Welsh Kernyw, which refer to the Cornwall region.

The city of Chartres was recorded around the year 400 as Carnotum, Carnotis around 650, and Cartis in 930. It was named after the Gallic tribe.

Geography

The lands were later divided into the Catholic dioceses of Chartres, Orléans, and Blois, which include most of the modern departments of Eure-et-Loir, Loiret, and Loir-et-Cher. The territory of the Carnutes was known by Roman people as the political and religious center of the Gaulish nations. The main fortified towns were Cenabum (mistakenly called "Genabum"), the modern city of Orléans, where a bridge crossed the Loire River, and Autricum (also called Carnutes, now Chartres). The important yearly meeting of druids described by Caesar took place in one of these towns. Livy's writings mention a story that the Carnutes were one of the tribes that joined Bellovesus during his invasion of Italy while Tarquinius Priscus ruled.

History

In the 1st century BC, the Carnutes made coins. These coins were usually stamped using tools called dies, but sometimes they were cast from a metal mix high in tin called potin. These coins have been found in large groups, or hoards, far from where the Carnutes lived. In some cases, the coins were found in so many places that it is unclear exactly where they were made. The designs on the coins include images of heads wearing traditional Celtic necklaces called torcs, a wolf with a star, a horse running, and a symbol called a triskelion. Some coins show an eagle with a crescent moon, a snake, or a wheel with four or six spokes, or a five-pointed star. Other coins have a hand holding a branch with berries, possibly holly. The wheel with four spokes forms a cross inside a circle, a symbol used by many cultures since ancient times. Sometimes the circle is made of small dots. Among the Celts, the circle and spokes might have represented the four seasons of the year, not the sun, which is a common meaning in other cultures. See Cross.

During the time of Julius Caesar, the Carnutes were under the control of the Remi. At one point, the Remi helped protect the Carnutes. In the winter of 58–57 BC, Caesar took control of the Carnutes and chose a man named Tasgetius to be their king from the ruling family. Within three years, the Carnutes killed the puppet king. On February 13, 53 BC, the people of Cenabum, a town controlled by the Carnutes, killed all the Roman merchants and one of Caesar’s officers stationed there. This led to a widespread rebellion across Gaul, led by a man named Vercingetorix. Caesar destroyed the town of Cenabum, killing the men and selling the women and children into slavery. The captured goods were given to his soldiers, which helped fund his conquest of Gaul. During the war, the Carnutes sent 12,000 soldiers to help defend Alesia but shared in the defeat of the Gallic army. After attacking the Bituriges, who asked Caesar for help, the Carnutes had to surrender. For many years, Cenabum remained in ruins, with two Roman legions stationed there.

After being pacified but not fully Romanized under Augustus, the Carnutes, as part of the region called Gallia Lugdunensis, were given the status of civitas socia, or foederati. This meant they kept their own government and continued making coins. Their only duty was to provide soldiers for the Roman emperor. Up to the 3rd century, the capital of the Carnutes was Autricum, later called Carnutes, which eventually became Chartres. In 275 AD, the Roman emperor Aurelian rebuilt Cenabum, changing it from a small village to a city. He renamed it Aurelianum or Aurelianensis urbs, which later became Orléans.