Caturix

Caturix was the war god of the Helvetii.

Names[]

Caturix became known as Mars Caturix in Gallo-Roman religion by interpretation as Mars. There was a temple dedicated to Mars Caturix in Aventicum, the capital of Roman Helvetia, another one in Nonfoux, Essertines-sur-Yverdon.

Other names (epitheta) of Caturix may have been Cicollus and Caisivus. Caturix has itself been interpreted as originating as an epithet of Toutatis.

Etymology[]

The Gaulish name catu-rix means 'battle-king' or 'battle-lord', stemming from Gaulish root catu- ('combat, battle') attached to rix ('king').^[1]^[2] The root catu- is cognate to similar words in Celtic languages, including Old Irish cath ('battle, troop') and Old Welsh cad ('battle'),^[3] and is attested in other Celtic personal names such as Catigern.^[4]^[5]

The Gallic tribe of the Caturiges ('battle-kings'), settling in the area of modern Chorges (from Latin: Caturigumagus) was apparently named after the god. The capital of the Caturiges was called Eburodunum (modern Embrun), i.e. the same name as that of Yverdon, suggesting a close relationship between the Caturiges and the Helvetii.

Inscriptions[]

Five dedicatory inscriptions to Caturix were found in the area settled by the Helvetii, all of them close to Avenches (Aventicum) and Yverdon (Eburodunum). A sixth inscription has been found in isolation in Böckingen, Heilbronn, Germany.

Riaz : HM 181 CIL XIII, 5035: ...]ATVRIG[...
Nonfoux : HM 164 CIL XIII, 5046: MARTI CATVRIGI ... TEMPLVM A NOVO IN[ST]ITVIT
Pomy: HM 165: CIL XIII, 5054: MARTI CATVR SACR ...
Yverdon: HM 172 CIL XIII, 11473: MARTI CATVRICI ET APOLLINI ...
Avenches: HM 222: MARTI CATVR ...
Avenches: HM221 CIL XIII, 11475: MART CAISIV ...
Böckingen: CIL XIII, 6474: IOM ET MARTI CATVRIGI GENIO LOCI ...

References[]

Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Errance. ISBN 9782877723695.
Lambert, Pierre-Yves (1994). La langue gauloise: description linguistique, commentaire d'inscriptions choisies. Errance. ISBN 978-2-87772-089-2.

Bibliography[]

Gerold Walser: Römische Inschriftkunst, Franz Steiner Verlag, 1993, S. 70, ISBN 9783515060653
Bernhard Maier: Lexikon der keltischen Religion und Kultur; Kröner, Stuttgart (1994). ISBN 3-520-46601-5
Ernst Howald, Ernst Meier: Die römische Schweiz; Zürich (1940).

^ Lambert 1994, p. 36.
^ Delamarre 2003, p. 111.
^ Pronk, Tijmen. "Proto-Indo-European *a". In: Indo-European Linguistics 7, 1 (2019): 127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/22125892-00701002
^ Mallory, James. (2006). "Indo-European Warfare". In: Journal of Conflict Archaeology 2: 89. 10.1163/157407706778942312.
^ Russell, Paul. "Old Welsh Dinacat, Cunedag, Tutagual: Fossilized Phonology in Brittonic Personal Names". In: Indo-European Perspectives: Studies in Honour of Anna Morpugo Davies. Edited by J. H. W. Penney. Oxford University Press. 2004. pp. 447-460. ISBN 0-19-925892-9

[FOOTNOTELambert199436-1] Lambert 1994, p. 36.

[FOOTNOTEDelamarre2003111-2] Delamarre 2003, p. 111.

[3] Pronk, Tijmen. "Proto-Indo-European *a". In: Indo-European Linguistics 7, 1 (2019): 127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/22125892-00701002

[4] Mallory, James. (2006). "Indo-European Warfare". In: Journal of Conflict Archaeology 2: 89. 10.1163/157407706778942312.

[5] Russell, Paul. "Old Welsh Dinacat, Cunedag, Tutagual: Fossilized Phonology in Brittonic Personal Names". In: Indo-European Perspectives: Studies in Honour of Anna Morpugo Davies. Edited by J. H. W. Penney. Oxford University Press. 2004. pp. 447-460. ISBN 0-19-925892-9

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]