CALETI
Eth.
CALETI or
CALETES (Eth.
Καλέτοι, Strab.;
Καλεἱται, Ptol.) are reckoned by Caesar (
Caes. Gal. 2.4) among tile Belgic nations, and consequently are north of the
Seine (
B. G. 1.1). In B.C. 57 it was estimated that they could muster 10,000 fighters. They are enumerated under the name of Caletes in our present texts, among the Armnoric or maritime states of Gallia which joined in the attempt to relieve Vercingetorix when he was besieged by Caesar in Alesia in B.C. 52.
The reading “Cadetes” may safely be rejected, nor are there any good reasons for distinguishing the Belgic Caleti from the Armoric Caletes. The Caleti also joined the Bellovaci and other tribes (B.C. 51) in a fresh attempt to resist Caesar. (
B. G. 8.7.) Strabo (pp. 189, 194) places the Caleti on the north side of the
Seine, at the mouth of the river, and he observes that one of the usual lines of passage to Britain was from this country. Ptolemy's position for the Caleti is the same, and he informs us that Juliobona (
Lillebonne) was their chief town.
The position thus agrees with the
Pays de Caux, the name
Caux being a corruption of Caleti, conformable to a general principle in the French language. They were in the modern diocese of
Rouen, the other part of which was occupied by their neighbours the Velocasses or Veliocasses, who are also mentioned by Caesar (
Caes. Gal. 2.4).
In the geography of Pliny (
4.17) the Caleti are included in the division of Gallia Lugdunensis. Harduin remarks that in this passage of Pliny all the MSS. have “Galletos.” The Caleti are mentioned by Pliny among those peoples who cultivated flax largely.
[
G.L]
