LEMOVICES
Eth.
LEMOVICES (
Λεμόβικες, Strab. p.190;
Λεμουίκοι,
Ptol. 2.7.10), a Gallic people who were bounded by the Arverni on the east, the Bituriges Cubi and the Pictones on the north, and the Santones on the west. Their chief town was Augustoritum or
Limoges. [
AUGUSTORITUM] The diocese of
Limoges, comprehending the diocese of
Tulle, which has been separated from it, represents the limits of the Lemovices; but the diocese of
Limoges extends somewhat beyond the limits of the old province of
Limousine, which derives its name from the Lemovices, and into that province which was called
La Marche. An inscription in Gruter, found at
Rancon, in the diocese of
Limoges, proves that there was included in the territory of the Lemovices a people named Andecamulenses; and another Gallic inscription shows that Mars was called Camulus. Camulogenus was a Gallic name. (
Caes. Gal. 7.59,
62.)
Caesar (
Caes. Gal. 7.4) enumerates the Lemovices among the peoples whom Vercingetorix stirred up against the Romans in B.C. 52: they are placed in the text between the Aulerci and Andes. The Lemovices sent 10,000 men to assist their countrymen at the siege of Alesia (
B. G. 7.75) But in the same chapter (7.75) the Lemovices are again mentioned: “universis civitatibus quae Oceanum attingunt quaeque eorum consuetudine Ar. moricae appellantur, quo sunt in numero Curiosolites, Redones, Ambibari, Caletes, Osismi, Lemovices, Veneti, Unelli, sex millia.” Here the Lemovices are placed in a different position, and are one of the Armoric States. [ARMORICAE CIVITATES.] Some critics erase the name Lemovices from Caesar's text; but there is good authority for it. Davis remarks (Caes.
Oudendorp, i. p. 427), that all the MSS. (known to him) have the reading Lemovices, and that it occurs also in the Greek translation.
He also observes, that as there were three Aulerci [
AULERCI], so there might be two Lemovices; and we may add that there were two Bituriges, Bituriges Cubi and Bituriges Vivisci; and Volcae Arecomici and Volcae Tectosages. If the text of Caesar then is right, there were Armoric Lemovices as well as the Lemovices of the
Limousin; and we must either keep the name as it is, or erase it.
The emendation of some critics, adopted by D'Anville, rests on no foundation. Walckenaer finds in the district which he assigns to the Lemovices Armoricani, a place named
La Limousinière, in the arrondissement of
Nantes, between
Machecoul, Nantes and
Saint-Léger; and he considers this an additional proof in favour of a conjecture about the text of Ptolemy in the matter of the Lemovices; as to which conjecture his own remarks may be read. (
Géog. &c.
des Gaules, vol. i. p. 369.)
[
G.L]
