The Ambilici (Gaulish: Ambilicoi, 'those around the Licos') were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the valley of Gail river (southern Austria) during the Roman period.
Name
They are mentioned as Ambílikoi (Ἀμβίλικοι; var. Ἀμβλικοί) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD).
The ethnic name Ambilici is a latinized form of the Gaulish Ambilicoi, which probably means 'around the Licos', that is 'those living around the Licos river'. The river name itself appears to be derived from lic(c)a ('flat stone'). Alternatively, it can be translated as 'the people on the rock' or 'the people around the cliff', by deriving the second element directly from Gaulish lica.
Geography
The Ambilici lived around the Licos river (modern Gail). Their territory was located south of the Ambidravi, east of the Laianci, Saevates and Catubrini, north of the Carni.
References
- Ptolemy. Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis, 2:13:2.
- Falileyev 2010, s.v. Ambilikoi.
- ^ Delamarre 2003, p. 201.
- de Bernardo Stempel 2015, p. 89.
- de Bernardo Stempel 2008, p. 107.
- Talbert 2000, Map 19: Raetia.
Bibliography
- de Bernardo Stempel, Patrizia (2008). "Linguistically Celtic ethnonyms: towards a classification". In García Alonso, Juan Luis (ed.). Celtic and Other Languages in Ancient Europe. Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. ISBN 978-8478003358.
- de Bernardo Stempel, Patrizia (2015). "Zu den keltisch benannten Stämmen im Umfeld des oberen Donauraums". In Lohner-Urban, Ute; Scherrer, Peter (eds.). Der obere Donauraum 50 v. bis 50 n. Chr. Frank & Timme. ISBN 978-3-7329-0143-2.
- Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Errance. ISBN 9782877723695.
- Falileyev, Alexander (2010). Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-names: A Celtic Companion to the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. CMCS. ISBN 978-0955718236.
- Talbert, Richard J. A. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691031699.
