Helvetii

Helvetii
/hel vee"shee uy'/, n.pl.
the ancient Celtic inhabitants of Helvetia in the time of Julius Caesar.
[1890-95; < L]

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▪ people
      a Celtic people who, under pressure from Germanic peoples in the 2nd century BC, migrated from southern Germany into what is now northern Switzerland. In 61 BC, still pressed upon by the Germans, the Helvetii under Orgetorix decided to migrate to western Gaul; more than 250,000 of them embarked in March 58 BC. Julius Caesar, then governor of Gaul, refused them entry and followed them up the Saone, where he defeated them near Bibracte (q.v.). The rump of the Helvetian force returned to Switzerland.

      Under Augustus their territory formed part of Gallia Belgica. The capital at Aventicum (Avenches) became a Roman colony, and the baths at Aquae Helveticae ( Baden, Switz.) attracted many visitors. Under the empire the Helvetii manned the Roman frontier forts against the Alamanni but yielded to their traditional enemies by the mid-5th century. The name Helvetia or Confederatio Helvetica survives as an official name of Switzerland.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • HELVETII — gens nobilissima cuius caput Aventicum olim, unâ cum Sequanis, Celtis sive Gallis proprie dictis attribuuntur a Caefare l. 1. c. 1. 2. et 3. qui illos reliquos Gallos virtute praecedere, omnibusque praestare, et totius Galliae plurimum posse ait …   Hofmann J. Lexicon universale

  • Helvetii — [hel vē′shē ī΄] pl.n. [L] the members of the Celtic people that lived in ancient Helvetia at the time of the reign of Julius Caesar …   English World dictionary

  • Helvetii — The Helvetii were a Celtic tribe and the main occupants of the Swiss plateau in the 1st century BC. They are prominently featured in Julius Caesar’s commentaries on the Gallic War. The Neolatin title of Switzerland, Confoederatio Helvetica… …   Wikipedia

  • Helvetii — noun plural Etymology: Latin Date: 1781 an early Celtic people in the area of western Switzerland at the time of Julius Caesar …   New Collegiate Dictionary

  • HELVETII —    a Celtic people mentioned by Cæsar as occupying territory in Central Europe now embraced in Switzerland; they suffered tremendous slaughter at the hands of Cæsar when endeavouring to make their way to a wider territory in Southern Gaul …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Helvetii — n. ancient Celtic people who came from southern Germany and inhabited western Switzerland during the Julius Caesar period …   English contemporary dictionary

  • helvetii — hel·ve·tii …   English syllables

  • Helvetii — Hel•ve•ti•i [[t]hɛlˈvi ʃiˌaɪ[/t]] n. pl. peo a Celtic people who inhabited most of what is now Switzerland at the time of Julius Caesar • Etymology: 1890–95; < L …   From formal English to slang

  • Helvetii — /hɛlˈviʃiaɪ/ (say hel veesheeuy) plural noun the ancient inhabitants of Helvetia, an Alpine region in Roman times, in the time of Julius Caesar. {Latin} …  

  • helvetii — helˈvēshēˌī noun plural Usage: usually capitalized Etymology: Latin : an early Celtic people of western Switzerland in the time of Julius Caesar …   Useful english dictionary

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