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Volcae

1911 Encyclopedia Britannica

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a Celtic people in the province of Gallia Narbonensis, who occupied the district between the Garumna (Garonne), Cerbenna mons (Cévennes), and the Rhodanus (or even farther to the east in earlier times), corresponding roughly to the old province of Languedoc. They were divided into two tribes, the Arecomici on the east and the Tectosages (whose territory included that of the Tolosates) on the west, separated by the river Arauris (Hérault) or a line between the Arauris and Orbis (Orbe). The Volcae were free and independent, had their own laws, and possessed the jus Latii. The chief town of the Tectosages was Tolosa (Toulouse); of the Arecomici, Nemausus (Nîmes); the capital of the province and residence of the governor was Narbo Martius (Narbonne). It was said that there was an early settlement of Volcae Tectosages near the Hercynia Silva in Germany; Tectosages was also the name of one of the three great communities of Gauls who invaded and settled in Asia Minor in the country called after them Galatia.

See A. Holder, Altceltischer Sprachschatz, i. ii. (1896, 1904), s.vv. " Arecomici" and "Tectosagi"; T. R. Holmes, Caesar's Conquest of Gaul (1899) p. 513; A. Desjardins, Géographie de la Gaule romaine, i. (1876).