DUBIS
DUBIS (
Δοῦβις:
Doubs), a branch of the Arar (
Saône), a river of Gallia.
This river is called Dubis by Ptolemy (
2.10.2) and Strabo (p. 186); but in Caesar (
Caes. Gal. 1.38) it is Alduasdubis, according to many MSS. Some MSS. have
Abd or
Add in the first syllable instead of
Ald. (Schneider's Caesar,
B. G. p. 80.)
The name has been altered to Dubis by most editors of Caesar, contrary to the MSS., in order to make the orthography fit that of Strabo and Ptolemy. Caesar describes the Alduasdubis as nearly surrounding Vesontio (
Besançon). A French writer, mentioned by D'Anville, supposes that Alduasdubis is compounded of the names of two rivers, one of which he names
Alde, and he says that it joins the
Doubs below
Montbéliard. D'Anville found in his maps a stream near
Porentrui named
Hallen or
Allen. There is nothing strange in the name Alduasdubis being shortened into Dubis.
Strabo (p. 186) says that the Arar (
Saône) rises in the Alps, and also the Dubis, a navigable river, which joins the Arar.
He extends the name Alps, as it appears, to the Jura; for the
Doubs rises in the highest parts of the Jura.
It first flows NE.; but near Mont Terrible it suddenly turns west, and has a very irregular course to
Porentrui; it then has a general SW. course past
Besançon and
Dole to its junction with the
Saône. The whole course of the
Doubs is above 200 miles; and it is now navigated a considerable distance above
Besançon.
Strabo seems to have known the position of the Dubis, and yet he makes a mistake twice about this river (p. 192), in making the Dubis one of the boundaries of the Segusiani, and also of the Aedui.
He should have written Ligeris in both cases instead of Dubis.
[
G.L]
