War against the Eburones

The War against the Eburones (53 BCE) was conducted by Julius Caesar during the Gallic Wars (58-51 BCE).

53 BCE at Atuatuca Tungrorum, modern Tongeren
In 54 BC Julius Caesar‘s army returned from Caesar's Second Invasion of Britannia to their winter quarters.

The Legions wintering in Gaul came under attack.
The Treveri King Indutiomarus, encouraged the other Gallic Tribes to revolt against the Roman Legions in their winter quarters, in particular the Eburones.

The Army wintered in the Eburones Territory:
- Two Legates, Quintus Titurius Sabinus and Lucius Aurunculeius Cotta, commanded one and a half legions at Atuatuca Tungrorum (Tongeren). Food was scarce, and led to a confrontation with the Eburones.
- 15 days after their arrival in camp, they were surrounded by the Eburones.
- The two Kings of the Eburones, Ambiorix and Cativolcus, promised the Romans safe passage if they left it.
- Once the 6,000 Roman Legionnaries were out of the camp, they were massacred.

The Army wintered in the Nervii Territory:
- Quintus Tullius Cicero (brother of the Orator Cicero) was wintered here with his army.
- King Ambiorix then rode to the Aduatuci, then the Nervii, to convince them to attack Cicero wintering there. The Nervii summoned their client Tribes, the Centrones, Grudii, Levaci, Pleumaxii and Geiduni.
- Julius Caesar moved his Legions rapidly towards Cicero, and relieved his garrison before it was too late.

The Army wintered in the Treveri Territory:
- Labienus was wintered here with his army.
- However, when he came under attack, he resisted successfully and killed the King of the Treveri, Indutiomarus.

Julius Caesar entered the territory of the Eburones to conduct a campaign against them.
King Cativolcus committed suicide, whilst King Ambiorix fled.
As the lands were covered in thick woods or swamps, Caesar did not want to risk a war of attrition against him. Therefore he invited neighbouring Tribes, particularly the Sicambri, to plunder the lands of the Eburones.
Caesar then moved Quintus Tullius Cicero and his Legion, with all the Baggage and Supplies, into the empty fortress at Atuatuca (Tongeren).
However, the Eburones then persuaded the Sicambri to attack the Baggage and Supplies under Cicero rather than plunder their lands, and the Sicambri left.
Julius Caesar embarked on a scorched earth policy, burning every town, village and field, to erase the name of the Eburones permanently.

A Germanic Tribe, the Tungri, subsequently occupied the lands of the Eburones, or were possibly the Eburones under a new name.

Celtic coins were either struck or cast. After Caesar’s invasion, Roman coinage completely replaced Celtic Coinage.

The Eburones:
- Gold coins with triple spirals (celtic good luck symbol) on the front, and horses on the reverse.
- The Centre Ceramique Museum in Maastricht, Holland, holds a Cache of coins of the Eburones found near Maastricht.
The Parisii:
- Head on the front, and a horse and chariot on the reverse.
The Venetii:
- Head on the front, and a horse on the reverse.
The Curiosolitae:
- This Tribe were neighbours of the Venetii. The Grouville Hoard consisting of 70,000 coins of the Curiosolitae weres found in Jersey in 2012.

Tongeren, Belgium