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‘Bagaudae’ or ‘Bacaudae’?

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  29 July 2016

Clifford E. Minor*
Affiliation:
California State University, Chico

Extract

The insurrections of peasants in Gaul and Spain who were collectively known as the Bagaudae ≃ Bacaudae constitute one of the more intriguing yet obscure conflicts in the Later Roman Empire. The meaning and origin of the word Bagauda ≃ Bacauda are equally obscure and have been unresolved since the Middle Ages.

Type
Miscellany
Copyright
Copyright © Fordham University Press 

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References

1 Important works on the Bagaudae ≃ Bacaudae are Szádeczky-Kardoss, Samu, RE Suppl. 11 (1968) s.v. Bagaudae 346–54; Czúth, Béla, ‘Die Quellen der Geschichte der Bagauden,' Acta Universitatis de Attila József nominatae: Acta antiqua et archaeologica (Szeged) 9 (1965); Edward Arthur Thompson, ‘Peasant Revolts in Late Gaul, Roman and Spain,’ Past and Present 2 (1952) 1123; Borza, Eugene N., ‘The Bacaudae: A Study of Rebellion in Late Gaul, Roman,’ unpublished M.A. dissertation, University of Chicago 1962; Korsunski, A. R., ‘Dvizhenie Bagaudov [Movements of the Bagaudae],' Vestnik Drevnei Istorii 4 (1957) 71–87; Engelmann, Erika, ‘Zur Bewegung der Bagauden im römischen Gallien,' Vom Mittelalter zur Neuzeit; Zum 65. Geburtstag von Heinrich Sproemberg ed. Kretzschmar, H. (Berlin 1956).1 373–85; and Seyfarth, Wolfgang, ‘Neue sowjetische Beiträge zu einigen Problemen der alten Geschichte: Das Problem der Bagauden,' Lebendiges Altertum: Populäre Schriftenreihe für Altertumswissenschaft 3 (1960) 7–13.Google Scholar

2 Sigebertus Gemblacensis, De passione sanctorum Thebeorum I 61–66: Google Scholar

Hos seu Bachaudas dicamus sive Bagaudas,

nanque in codicibus nostris utrunque videmus.

Si vis Bachaudas, dic a bachando Bagaudas;

mutans cognatis cognata elementa clementis,

dic ita, si censes audacter ubique vagantes.

Aut dic Bacaudas bellis audendo vacantes.

Citation from Dümmler Dümmler, ‘Sigebert's von Gembloux Passio sanctae Luciae virginis und Passio sanctorum Thebeorum,’ Abh. Akad. Berlin 1893 I 49; also included in Czúth, op. cit. ‘Die Quellen,’ 9. My special thanks to Paul Pascal Professor, Dept. of Classics, Univ. of Washington, Seattle, for assistance in translating Lines 63 and 66 of this passage.

3 Pope, Mildred K., From Latin to Modern French with Especial Consideration of Anglo-Norman (Manchester 1952), 341, §900; Ewert, Alfred, The French Language (London 1933), 76–7; and Brunot, Ferdinand, Histoire de la langue française des origines à nos fours (Paris 1966) I, 164–5.Google Scholar

4 Victor, Aurelius, Lib. de Caes. 39.17: ‘[sc., Diocletianus] … ubi comperit Carini discessu Helianum Amandumque per Galliam excita manu agrestium ac latronum, quos Bagaudas incolae vocant, populatis late agris plerasque urbium tentare. …’ Citation from Victor, S. Aurelius, Liber de Caesaribus edd. Gruendel, Piehlmayr-R. (Lipsiae 1961), 118; also included in Czúth, ‘Die Quellen,’ 7.Google Scholar

5 Gallia Lugdunensis , also known as Gallia celtica, included the Gallic coastlands from the Gironde to the Seine and the Marne, and extended inland to the Rhine. See Whatmough, Joshua, The Dialects of Ancient Gaul (Cambridge 1970) 482.Google Scholar

6 Whatmough, Joshua, Keλtika: Being Prolegomena to a Study of the Dialects of Ancient Gaul — included in Whatmough, The Dialects of Ancient Gaul 68–76. Keλtika was first published in Harvard Studies in Classical Philology 55 (1944).Google Scholar

7 Zeuss, Johann K., Grammatica Celtica (1853) I 20; II 753; Dottin, Georges, La langue gauloise (Paris 1920) 129, 230; A. Walde, Lateinisches etymologisches Wörterbuch (Heidelberg 1938) s.v. bagaudae I 93; Holder, Alfred, Altceltischer Sprachschatz (Leipzig 1891–1913) s.v. bagaudae I 329–331; III (Suppl.) 790; and Szádeczky-Kardoss, , op. cit. 347. See also Whatmough, Dialects of Ancient Gaul, s.v. bagaudae, 178.Google Scholar

8 Eutropius, , Breviarium ab urbe condita 9.20.3: ‘[sc, Diocletianus] … rerum Romanarum potitus cum tumultum rusticani in Gallia concitassent et factioni suae Bacaudarum nomen inponerent. …’ Citation from Eutropius, Breviarium ab urbe condita, ed. Droysen, H. MGH Auct. Ant. II (Berlin 1879) 162; also included in Czúth, op. cit. 7.Google Scholar

9 Eutropius, , op. cit. xxii–xxiii.Google Scholar

10 Paianios, , Versio Graeca historiae Romanae Eutropii 9.20.3: ‘Στασιάξoντoς δὲ ἐν γάλλoις τo ἀγιϱoιχινo χαὶ Bα鏰αύδας ϰαλoντoς τoὺς sνγϰϱ;oτηΘέντας (ὂνomα δὲ ἕsτιν τoτo τνϱάννovς δηλoν ἐπιχωϱίoνς) …’ Citation from Eutropius, op. cit. 163; also included in Czúth, , op. cit. 7. τύϱαννoς translates as ‘rebel,’ ‘robber’ or ‘usurper’ in its usage during the Later Roman Empire. See MacMullun, Ramsay, ‘The Roman Concept Robber-Pretender,' Revue internationale des droits de l'antiquité 3 10 (1963) 221–25; The Theodosian Code and Novels and the Sirmondian Constitutions transl. Clyde Pharr (New York 1969, reprint of 1952 ed.) s.v. ‘tyrant’ 598; and Estienne, Henri, Thesaurus graecae linguae (Paris 1831–65) s.v. τύϱαννoς 2600–1.Google Scholar

11 Salvian, , De gubernatione dei 5.24: ‘De Bacaudis nunc mihi sermo est, qui per malos iudices et cruentos spoliati afflictu necati, postquam ius Romanae libertatis amiserant, etiam honorem Romani nominis perdiderunt. Et imputatur his infelicitas sua, imputamus his nomen calamitatis suae, imputamus nomen, quod ipsi fecimus: vocamus rebelles vocamus perditos quos esse compulimus criminosos.’ Citation from Salvian, , op. cit. ed. Pauly, , CSEL 8. 109; also included in Czúth, , op. cit. 15.Google Scholar

12 Chronica Gallica anni CCCCLII 117: ‘Gallia ulterior Tibattonem principem rebellionis secuta a Romana societate discessit, a quo tracto initio omnia paene Galliarum servitia in Bacaudam conspiravere.’ Citation from Chronica Gallica anni CCCCLII, ed. Mommsen, Th., Chron. Min. I, MGH Auct. Ant 9. 660; also included in Czúth, , op. cit. 15–16. Cf., Chron. Gall. a. CCCCLII 133.Google Scholar

13 Dottin, , La langue gauloise, 63.Google Scholar

14 Ibid. n. 1.Google Scholar

15 Whatmough, , Keλtika, 30 ff.Google Scholar