Cisalpine Gaul

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Map with location of Cisalpine Gaul

Cisalpine Gaul (Latin: Gallia Cisalpina, meaning "Gaul on this side of the Alps") was the Roman name for a geographical area (later a province of the Roman Republic), in the territory of modern-day northern Italy (including Emilia-Romagna, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, Liguria, Lombardy, Piedmont, Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol and Veneto), inhabited by the Celts.

Sometimes referred to as Gallia Citerior (Hither Gaul), Provincia Ariminum, or Gallia Togata (Toga-wearing Gaul, indicating the region's early Romanization). Gallia Transpadana denoted that part of Cisalpine Gaul between the Padus (now Po) and the Alps, while Gallia Cispadana was the part to the south of the river.

The province was governed from Mutina (modern-day Modena), where, in 73 BC, forces under Spartacus defeated the legion of Gaius Cassius Longinus, the provincial governor.

The River Rubicon marked its southern boundary with Italia proper. It was the crossing of this river in 49 BC by Julius Caesar, with his battle-hardened legions, returning from the conquest of Gaul, that precipitated a civil war in the Roman Republic. This led, eventually, to the establishment of the Roman Empire.

The province was merged into Italia about 42 BC, as part of Octavian's "Italicization" program during the Second Triumvirate. The dissolution of the provincia required a new governing law or lex, although its contemporary title is unknown. The parts of it that are inscribed on a bronze tablet preserved in the museum at Parma are entirely concerned with arranging the judiciary; the lex appoints two viri and four viri juri dicundo. The lex also mentions a Prefect of Mutina.

Virgil and Livy,[1] two famous sons of the province, were born in Gallia Cisalpina.^[1]

Notes

Sources

• Corbella, Roberto: "Celti : itinerari storici e turistici tra Lombardia, Piemonte, Svizzera", Macchione, Varese c2000; 119 p., ill.; 20 cm; ISBN 8883400305; EAN: 9788883400308

• Corbella, Roberto: "Magia e mistero nella terra dei Celti : Como, Varesotto, Ossola"; Macchione, Varese 2004; 159 p. : ill. ; 25 cm; ISBN 8883401867; EAN: 9788883401862

• D'AVERSA, Arnaldo: "La Valle Padana tra Etruschi, Celti e Romani", PAIDEIA, Brescia 1986, 101 p. ill., 21 cm, ISBN 88-394-0381-7

• Grassi, Maria Teresa: "I Celti in Italia" - 2. ed, LONGANESI, MILANO 1991 (BIBLIOTECA DI ARCHEOLOGIA); 154 p., 32 c. di tav., ill. ; 21 cm; ISBN 88-304-1012-8

• Grassi, Maria Teresa: "La ceramica a vernice nera di Calvatone-Bedriacum", All'Insegna del Giglio, Firenze 2008, pp. 224 brossura, ISSN/ISBN 9788878143692

• Kruta, Venceslas: "I celti e il Mediterraneo", Jaca Book, 2004, 78 p., ISBN 881643628X, ISBN 9788816436282

• Kruta, Venceslas: "La grande storia dei celti. La nascita, l'affermazione e la decadenza", Newton & Compton, 2003, 512 p., ISBN 8882898512, ISBN 9788882898519

• Kruta, Venceslas & Manfredi, Valerio M.: "I celti d'Italia", Mondadori, 2000 (Collana: Oscar storia), ISBN 8804477105, ISBN 9788804477105

• Violante, Antonio; introduzione di Venceslas Kruta: "I Celti a sud delle Alpi", Silvana, Milano 1993 (POPOLI DELL'ITALIA ANTICA), 137 p., ill., fot.; 32 cm; ISBN 88-366-0442-0

See also

• Canegrate culture
• Golasecca culture
• Transalpine Gaul, the other Gallic province.