Gabales

The Gabales - Latin Gabali - are a Gallic people, customer of the Arvernes remaining in Gévaudan (become with the Révolution the Département of Lozere). They take part in the Gallic coalition at the sides of Arvernes. In 52 av. J. - C. they take part in the attack of the Narbonnaise with the Nitiobroges and the Rutènes under the command of Lucterios before being caught some with the Helviens.

Their place chief

Their Gallo-Roman chief town was Anderitum , present on the Table of Peutinger, which recalls the roads of Roman post offices. Anderitum becomes the “city of Gabales” for the Romans who thus give him the name of Gabalum (become thereafter: AD Gabals , and, with the influence Occitan E, Gabouls then Javols). The name of Gévaudan is besides also related to these people. An annual building site of archaeological excavations deals with bringing complements with regard to the urban occupation of Javols.

Other places of life

One knows few things about the principal residences of Gabales. In addition to Javols, the village of Banassac developed time of the Roman occupation. The trick of Saint-Bonnet-of-Chirac were used to them probably as place of worship, just like the top of the trick of Grèzes. Moreover the village of Grèzes ( Gredone at the time) seems to have was used as fortress before the arrival of the Romans, since is undoubtedly there that part of first Gabales would have settled on their arrival in the area in order to be protected from the autochtones. Always it is that the Gallo-Roman fortress will be extremely a long time the privileged place of defense of the population. It is thus there that it takes refuge during the first invasion of the Alamans at the 3rd century, resistant to a two year old seat, pushing back the invader after the Martyre of Saint Privat. It is Gregoire de Tours which teaches us that the people of the bishop “were locked up in the cuttings off of the camp of Gréze”. Saint Privat was found by Alamans in the caves which it had arranged in hermitage on the Mont Mimat. Excavations show that there was without doubts of the dwellings to the feet of this mount, a borough of the name of Mimata, today Mende.

The valley of the Batch towards Mende, and that of its neighbors Nize and Bramont, seems are places appreciated by the Romans since traces of villae were found in Sirvens (Mende) and especially an imposing Roman mausoleum is with Lanuéjols. It is known besides that the Romans appreciated water of Gévaudan, since they left traces with Bagnols-the-Baths (in the past aquae calida , like much of cities termale) and to the source of Saint Frézal beside Canourgue - Banassac. All this lets suppose that Gabales were to already have dwellings towards these places, before the arrival of the Romans. Pline old the teach us besides that with Rome one délectait cheeses coming from the Gabales country.

Lastly, the other important city of Gabales seems to be Condate (today towards Saint-Bonnet-with-Montauroux) which was a place of contact with the Vellaves, and perhaps of monitoring, taking into account the proximity with the Helviens and the presence of many rivers in natural defense.

Etymology

In Gallic language, the term gabal indicated a fouche. One finds this term in Breton with jail (which comes from gabl ) and as old Irish gabul . By extension, the term gabal has seems it given the French term Javelot. The name of Gabales would mean as follows: “men with the javelins”.

Another significance of the term returns, it could quite simply act of “places high”.

The war of Gaules

One finds the Gabale people twice in Of bello galico of Jules César, in a text where it is explained to us that Gabales are customers of Arvernes and follow the orders of Vercingétorix. In the book septime, one learns Luctérius, the Cadurque, prepares troops to attack the Narbonnese city :

It advances at Nitiobroges and Gabales, receives one and other state of the hostages, and, having joins together a strong troop, undertakes to invade the Province, in direction of Narbonne. |Jules César|Of bello Galico , Delivers VII, chap.VII

Once the Gallic victory with Gergovie last, the aforementioned Gallic try to push back the Romans in their Province. Thus it is learned that:

Other side, it launches Gabales and the closest cantons of Arvernes against Helviens|Jules César|Of bello Galico , Delivers VII, chap.LXIV

It is perhaps good to specify that the Helviens were combined Romans, and that they had to help them to cross the the Cevennes (partly on their territory, which is located from now on in the Département of Ardeche) in order to rejoin the country arverne before the battle of Gergovie. But the Gallic response will be vain and a new seat starts with Alesia. Vercingétorix then calls once again Gabales with the assistance:

One asks Éduens and their customers, Ségusiaves, Ambivarètes, Aulerques Brannovices, Brannoviens, thirty-five thousand men; a figure equal to Arvernes to which one joint Éleutètes, Cadurque, Gabales, Vellaviens, which is for a long time under their domination; … |Jules César|Of bello Galico , Delivers VII, chap.LXXV

Sources and references

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