The Bergalei were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the Val Bregaglia during the Iron Age and the Roman period.

Name

The ethnic name Bergalei appears to derive from the Gaulish stem for 'mountain, mount', *berga-. It has been translated as the 'highland people'.[1]

Geography

The Bergalei lived in the Val Bregaglia, near the settlements of Clavenna (Chiavenna) and Murus (Bondo).[2][3] Their territory was located north of the Aneuniates, south of the Suanetes, west of the Rugusci.[3]

After their subjugation by Rome in 15 BC, they were integrated into the province of Raetia.[2]

History

They are mentioned during the reign of Claudius (41–54) in the context of an old dispute with the people of Comum.[4][2]

Culture

The Bergalei were not part of the Raeti. Two votive inscriptions dedicated to the god Mercurius Cissonius attest of a Celtic influence.[2]

References

  1. ^ de Bernardo Stempel 2008, p. 106.
  2. ^ a b c d Frei-Stolba 2002.
  3. ^ a b Talbert 2000, Map 19: Raetia.
  4. ^ Frezouls 1981, p. 241.

Bibliography

  • de Bernardo Stempel, Patrizia (2008). "Linguistically Celtic ethnonyms: towards a classification". In García Alonso, Juan Luis (ed.). Celtic and Other Languages in Ancient Europe. Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. ISBN 978-8478003358.
  • Frei-Stolba, Regula (2002). "Bergalei". Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz.
  • Frezouls, Edmond (1981). "A propos de la tabula Clesiana". Ktèma. 6 (1): 239–252. doi:10.3406/ktema.1981.1848.
  • Talbert, Richard J. A. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691031699.
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