Ambactos

Definition

Meaning term Gallic: " That which is autour" (AMBI + ACTOS = Circulating around)

It corresponds to the shape of dependence of an originally free man and thus armed, who engages towards an important character and follows it in particular to the war. (source: Venceslas Kruta, Celts, history and dictionary )

Other sources give: " that which leads; envoy autour"

This term gave us French " Embassy " , initially ambaxade borrowed (?) of Italian ambasciata, resulting itself from Gallic…

to also see: Ambact, Ambacte, Ambactus (Latin form), Ambacti (plural)

Ambacti in the Celtic company

César thought that the ambacti were the property of a person but it of it is nothing even if, according to V.Krutas, they were in a situation close to serfdom. Near only because the ambactos was a warrior, an armed man and thus a free man. In fact, they gave up with a character influence their legal personality against a debt or a remuneration. The character was to represent them on any legal business. In against part, the warrior ambactos was to accompany it with the war.

In times of peace, the ambactos lived like its " protecteur" , i.e. grassement. In time of war, if the influential character would die, the ambactos was to die him too.

Monetary legends

The word " is found; ambacti" on coins of the Médiomatriques and Lexoviens, for example, without one being able to know if it is of the function or a Anthroponyme.

Ancient sources

César " War of Gaules " - VI, 15:

Alterum genus is equitum. Hi, cum is usus atque aliquod bellum incidit (quod fere handle Caesaris adventum quotannis accidere solebat, uti aut ipsi iniurias inferrent aut illatas propulsarent), omnes in bello versantur, atque eorum quisque C east generates copiisque amplissimus, ita plurimos circum ambactos clientesque habet. Hanc unam gratiam potentiamque noverunt.

(VI, 15) the second class is that of the knights. When it of it is need and that it occurs some war (what, before the arrival of César, took place almost every year, either to make, or to push back incursions), they take all part in this war, and proportion with the glare of their birth and their richnesses the number of servants (usual translation of Ambactos) and customers of which they are surrounded. It is for them the only mark of the credit and the power.

Pausanias "Description of Grèce" - Phociques:

10. When for the cavalry of Gallates (Gallic) the fight is committed, these domestic (Ambacti) is held behind of the body of battle, and, here which services they return. It arrived at a rider or to a horse to fall '', in the second case, the servant gives to the Master his horse to be ridden; and if it is the man who was killed, the slave goes up in the place of his Master. If fate has suddenly seized them one and the other, there is a very ready rider. The Master receives it a wound, one of the slaves takes along to the camp the casualty, and the other is put in the row at the place of that which left.

11. This rule, so that I believe, was laid down by Gallates, with the imitation of the Ten thousand at Persians, that the Immortal ones were called. There is however a difference, it is that, at Persians, the list of those which replaced deaths was drawn up after the battle, while for Gallates, it is in the heat even of the action that the number of the riders was supplemented.

12. This organization named trimarkisia in the language of the country (it should be known that marka is the name of the horse among Celts).

Strabon "Géographie" - IV, 1

(to be come)

See too

Internal bonds

Gallic (for the study on the language)

External bonds

(Currencies of Mediomatrici)

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