Tricasses

The Tricasses were a Gallic tribe, dwelling on the upper Seine and the Aube rivers during the Roman period.[1] Until the first century BCE they were probably reckoned among the Senones.[1]

Not to be confused with Tricassis, a Gallic tribe from Gallia Narbonensis.

Name

They are mentioned as Tricasses by Pliny (1st c. AD),[2] and as Trikásioi (Τρικάσιοι) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD).[3][4]

The meaning of the name Tricasses is unclear.[5] The Gaulish suffix tri- certainly means 'three',[5][6] but the translation of the element -casses is less certain, possibly 'hair, hairstyle', perhaps a particular warrior coiffure, or 'tin, bronze (helmet?)'.[7] Based upon such interpretations, the meaning 'the three-braided ones', 'those who have three braids' has been proposed.[6]

The city of Troyes, attested as civitas Tricassium ca. 400 CE ('civitas of the Tricasses', Trecassis in the 7th c., Treci in 890, Troies in 1230), is named after the Gallic tribe.[5]

Geography

The Tricasses dwelled near the Senones, the Parisii, the Meldi, the Remi and the Lingones.[1]

From the reign of Augustus, they were organized as a civitas with Augustobona Tricassium (modern Troyes) as their capital.[1]

References

1. Polfer 2006.
2. Pliny. Naturalis Historia, 4:107
3. Ptolemy. Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis, 2:8:10
4. Falileyev 2010, p. entry 2388.
5. Nègre 1990, p. 157.
6. Delamarre 2003, p. 301.
7. Delamarre 2003, pp. 109–110.

Bibliography

• Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental (in French). Errance. ISBN 9782877723695.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• 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.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
• Polfer, Michel (2006). "Tricasses". Brill’s New Pauly.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)