Adsilanum

AD Silanum is a Gallo-Roman village (see older) which was used as station on the Aubrac. A mystery remains however around this important station of the Roman world, since it was not found.

A forgotten strategic importance

Initially Anderitum and AD-Silanum was stations on the Roman ways connecting the Narbonnese to Gaules of north and Aquitaine, then stations at the borders of Gallia Narbonensis or Braccata and free zone of Arvernes. With the rising of Vercingétorix the goal was to prevent the incursions of insurgent in pacified territory of Narbonensis, then after the defeat of Alésia the goal was to occupy and repress any incursion or rebellion and to continue and destroy very rebel. Thus the history of Uxellodunum started…

Are the sources thus rather rare thus one can wonder from where us returned the memory of the forgotten station of AD-Silanum? Initially by the common history of the two local people Rutènes or Ruthènes and Gabales, then the Roman conquest which created this stage, then the discovery of the table of Peutinger which inspired many cartographers of the 17th century then the definitions like those of Hoffmann Johann Jacob (1635-1706: Lexicon Universale), coming to supplement and comment on the definitions of the ancient world. The geographer Strabon said that people of Aquitaine, the Rutènes and the Gabales are close to the Narbonnese, and quoted the presence of money mines at Rutènes and also at Gabales.

A collective work of memory come the 19th century

At the 19th century after the fall of the Second empire, the République takes again its rights, and the historical and public files become consultable by all… Then during the III eme republic a facsimile of the Table of Peutinger reappears, poking the curiosity of a free population to consider its local history. Then the historians of the Languedoc-Roussillon and the Midday-Pyrenees helped by the memory local and of few Romaines traces present in the area consider the possible localization of the site of AD Silanum. A thing is certain way AD Silanum or Adsilanum is registered on the table of Peutinger and is on the way which goes from Anderitum to Segodunum. the sector of way AD Silanum is thus with horse on the territory of two people: Gabales and Rutènes. Then this road which comes from Lyon Lugdunum to join Bordeaux Burdigala via Toulouse Tolosa, by where passes you exactly it? Two roads are perfectly known nowadays: the Via Podiensis way of Saint-Jacob de Compostelle which rejoins Puy in Saint Jacques of compostelle who partly takes again the Roman way which crosses the Aubrac and which joined Saint-Like-with Olt. Then the current road carossable which makes Lyon, Puy, Langogne, Mende and slips by towards Rodez via Laissac. Here some plausible versions, available to the BNF, and other alternatives of this road which the cartographers of the 17th century extrapolated starting from the table of Peutinger. The two principal bridges charted at the 17th century with the outlets of Aubrac on the Batch, were: Saint-Laurent-with Olt and Saint-Like-Olt, meant on the charts of the 17th century, surely indicating the two main roads, as well as a third leading to Espalion.

Espalion was known to feed the south of the Arverne part of its ceramics sigillées at the time Gallo-Roman.

Official site of Adsilanum: Puech-Crémat-Bas - Roman Way of Aubrac with Saint-Like-in Olt

Name AD-Silanum is the name of this stage thus of a mansio and the names were selected is by the presence of an obstacle or a remarkable place, a border, a collar, a close city or an inn…

Of uncertainties divides the historians and the geographers: Is AD Silanum it a city or a relay of stage, some places AD Silanum like a city at banks of the Batch, but the way is trans Aubrac or circumvents Aubrac in the South East?

The officially recognized site is Puech-Cremat-Bas on the Aubrac lozérien (which contains the crémade root: who underwent a fire).

It should be known that during the war of Gaules it was strategic, to destroy the unfavourable fourrageurs have took lead on the enemy, and what is not stripped either of good sense, because the name: Silanum, in a Latin form, can come from Silanus: meaning place close to the sources or waters running, and even the name Salhiens of the lake close to Nasbinals would come from this root: Silanus. But AD-Silanum can have many other directions as the place where a character named lives Silanus.

Another ethymologic version: By withdrawing the Anum suffix: there remains to us the adsil root: assilio, (adsilio), assilire, assilŭi, assultum: - intr. and qqf. tr. - to jump against (on, auprès), to spring towards, attack, leap. What would corroborate the state of siege of the area under césar and the presence of a fort or well strengthened a Romain camp having resisted many attacks… From where the etymological and toponymic justification of " Puech Crémat" Latin podium (puech) crématus (crémat), which would explain the desolation of this site which one cannot hardly distinguish the trace on the ground.

The origin of name AD-Silanum could also be Sila, because the valley of the Lot under Aubrac resembles curiously an area of Italy which is in Calabria named Sila. This similarity could very well strike the Romains where even some Ionien S come in this area during antiquity, which could give another direction to the toponymy of the commune of Lassouts which on this assumption would not be the direction that one gave him until now but would come from Assou (which means water and which one finds a common name in the Tarn and Aveyron and the South of Italy) which would come from its position compared to the source of Dourdou for example.

Roman presence

Close to the St. Lawrence d' Olt, in direction of Laissac, with Saint-Saturnin-with-Lenne one can see the remainders of the thermal baths of a Roman villa.

The presence of a pile of bridge of Roman origin with Holy-Eulalie-in Olt, could mean that at this place an ancient passage of the zone of Aubrac at the zone rutene was, which forwarded by Laissac, where in its neighborhoods vestiges of a Gallic camp were discovered: the oppidum of Montmerlhe, before reaching Rodez - Segodunum.

An ancient mention, finally an oral transmission said that the territory rutene was located between banks of the Tarn at the South and Banks of the Batch in north, which would make of Aubrac aveyronnais a territory gabale governed by Andéritum if not a walk ruténo-gabale allowing commercial barters between Rutènes and Gabales via the valleys going up towards the plate but the principal doubt comes owing to the fact that all the driving access roads to the plate were under Romain control, because after Alésia the Romans of the legion of Caninius Rebilus tracked the survivors of Alésia who had not gone (if toponymy does not make me lie the town of Canilhac (fontière ruténo-gabale and the locality rock Canillac (border arverno-gabale) would come from the same relationship with Caninius Rebilus (Canilhac: field of Caninius). This name Caniac is also found in cadurque country.

Some names of strategic villages or has toponymic value of Aubrac:

Pierrefiche, Lozere and Aveyron (toponymy: limit, access to the plate)
the St. Lawrence d' Olt, Aveyron (charted: bridge Ford, access road to the valley of Colagne)
Estables Aveyron (toponymy comes from stabulum ) presence of stables…
Saint Eulalie-in Olt (Aveyron) pile of Bridge Romain
Saint-Like-in Olt (Aveyron) outlet of the Roman way, bridge-ford, access road to the plate
Espalion-Flaujac (Aveyron) (toponymy: field of Flavius)

The way of the Trans-Aubrac Roman way passes to Puech Crémat-Bas (which is identified like the site of AD-Silanum). This Roman way which led to the lake of the Mount-Hélanus (before becoming this dreaded stage of the Via Podiensis if borrowed from the Moyen-âge). Certain vestiges are still guessable: a Roman bridge close to Marchastel, the famous way Roman crosses the forest of Aubrac then goes down on Saint-Like-in Olt while passing close to Infrus and occults the outlet which joined the valley which carries out to Saint-Genius-in Olt, to go down on Saint-Like-in Olt, gold according to the writings of Henri Pradel in 1909: … finally, of the remainders of Gauloises constructions, which one can see still very close to the house of the Guards, to Rajals, announce the Celtic time… It is obvious and this zone located at the level of Enfrux (west coast) and Rajals (east coast), form a crossroads serving the two greater strategic outlets towards the Batch.

At the time Gallo-Roman, each road of peak or Roman way was subjected to a tax thus with the outlet and in the obligatory strategic passing a kind of toll was held to with it which was added to the Octroi.

People and the war of Gaules

Vercingétorix, gathers soon an army, it sends a part at Rutènes of it, under the orders of Luctérios, of the country of the Cadurques, However Cadurque Luctérios, sent at Rutènes, attracts them with the party of Arvernes, it goes from there to the Nitiobroges and Gabales, which give him all and sundry of the hostages… |Jules César|Of bello Galico , Delivers VII, chap.VII

In this news, César accepted duty preferably all to leave for this Province. |Jules César|Of bello Galico

It arrives there, reassures the frightened people, establishes stations at those of Rutènes, which depend on the province… |Jules César|Of bello Galico

; determination of César

César went to Helviens, though in this season, most rigorous of the year, snow encumbered the ways of the the Cevennes, mountains which separate Helviens from Arvernes. However through work, while making draw aside by the soldier the thick snow of six feet, César there spawning time a way and arrives on the border of Arvernes. |Jules César|Of bello Galico

; Vercingétorix adopts the scorched earth policy

Vercingétorix requires hostages of the other nations… and announces that it is satisfied with the infantry which it has already… and which with a many cavalry it will be very easy for him to cut the vivres to the Romans and to obstruct their Fourrageurs; that only the Gallic ones are resigned to destroy their harvests and to set fire to their residences, and see in these domestic losses only the means of recovering forever their independence and their freedom|Jules César|Of bello Galico

On another side, it sends Gabales and the closest cantons of the Arvernes, to devastate the territory of the Helviens, as well as Rutènes and the Cadurques that of the Volques Arécomiques |Jules César|Of bello Galico

; Participation in the army of help in Alésia

a reinforcement of 30 000 Gabales and 12 000 Rutènes

; Occupying army after the defeat of Alésia

C. Caninius Rebilus is sent at Rutènes with a legion. This same Caninius continues Drappès and Luctérios until Uxellodunum… Where C. Fabius arrived in reinforcement with its troops, then César arrived at Uxellodunum, where nobody awaited it…

; Border of the Narbonnese in 120 after JC' According to the famous geographer Abraham Ortelius, the Narbonnese Province went up beyond the Batch into 120 before J. - C.

; Toponymy It is very possible that the name of the commune of Canilhac comes from Caninius.

Old charts

One also finds it on the chart Cassini area Mende available to BNF

On the way Trans Aubrac Anderitum - Adsilanum - is Segodunum, which the Roman evidence?

the archeological site of Javols
the Roman way on the Aubrac Lozérien
the Roman bridge close to Marchastel
the site supposed of AD-Silanum in Puech-Crémat-Bas
the Roman way (with dimensions Aveyron) of the wood of Aubrac via Enfrux in direction of the south of Saint-Chély-in Aubrac in direction of the Batch…

but instead of passing by Saint-Like-with Olt was to remain on left bank of the boralde and to cross the batch towards Lassouts to join Cruéjouls where one finds a portion of Roman way and a Roman bridge in direction of Gabriac indexed like Roman way Javols - Rodez.

Sources and bibliography

Table of Peutinger
Mémoires of the National company of the antique dealers of France By Company of the antique dealers of France 1826
Notice of old Gaulle drawn from the Roman monumens, dedicated has S.A.S… By Mister d' Anville, Jean Baptiste Burgundian 1740
Hoffmann Johann Jacob (1635-1706: Lexicon Universale)
the geographer Strabon
Pline old the
César of bello gallico or the war of the gaules
Marius Balmelle
Végèce or Végètius
National library department of the Prints
toponymy of the Western South
National geographical Institute: IGN

Sources and references

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