Celtic settlement

The first mention of Lutetia occurs in the middle of the 1st century BC. and belongs to Julius Caesar. Caesar calls it the city of the Parisians (lat. Lūtētia Parīsiōrum, oppidum Parīsiōrum), lying on the island of Sequany (Seine) and connected to its banks by bridges. Half a century later, Strabo notes that the Parisii live near Sequana, on which there is their island and city, Lucotokia (ancient Greek. πόλις Λουκοτοκία ) . Ptolemy (second half of the 2nd century) gives the geographical coordinates of this city - Loukothecia (ancient Greek. πόλις Παρισίων Λουκοτεκία ; var. Λευκοτεκία ; Old Greek λευκóς "white, light, clean"). Most of it was at that time on the left bank and was located on a hill called Lukotitsyskaya (lat. mōns Lucotitus; Sainte-Genevieve). The mention of Lutitia in the Itineraria of Antoninus (lat. Luticia Parīsiōrum) . From the beginning of the 4th century, the name “Lutetia” was replaced on road mile stones by the “city of Parisians” (lat. cīvitās Parīsiōrum). In the middle of the 4th century, Julian writes about Luketia, dear to him (ancient Greek. Λουκετία ). This, according to him, is what the Celts call this city of the Parisians - a river island surrounded by a wall, with bridges on both sides. Somewhat later, the fort of the Parisians Lutitia (lat. Parīsiōrum castellum, Luticia nōmine) mentions Ammianus Marcellinus. By the end of Roman times, the city was called simply Parisium (lat. Parisius).

"Lukotokia" was obviously its earliest name and could have either an Indo-European or non-Indo-European etymology, "Lutetia" - most likely Indo-European, and "Parisium" - definitely Indo-European. Despite the fact that the initial values ​​on which they are based are the same - “swampy places”.

After Caesar, Lutetia remained the main settlement of the Parisians, but for a long time the meager finds of archaeologists did not allow us to establish with certainty the location of its former location. It was believed that Lutetia was located on one of the islands of the Seine, the Cité, but no objects from the pre-Roman period were found there during excavations. According to the writer and historian L. Deutsch, it was originally located on the territory of the current city of Nanterre, a suburb of Paris, located 11 kilometers from its center. During excavations in Nanterre in 2003 (during the construction of the A86 highway), “houses, streets, wells, gates and other finds” were discovered. It is known that before the final battle of the Parisians with the Roman army, it was decided to burn Lutetia. Thus, after their victory, the Romans captured only the remains of the burned city.

However, the opinion about the historical center could be influenced by the fact that the legendary patroness of Paris, St. Genevieve, was born in Nanterre.

Roman period

The oldest finds (Italian amphoras, brooches), dating back to the Roman period after the annexation of Gaul to the Roman Empire, are dated 40-30. BC e., however, they provide only scant information about those times. Presumably the settlement arose from a military camp, but evidence of this fact has not yet been found.

The settlement itself was founded at the beginning of the 1st century AD. e. and had three main points. On the left bank of the Seine there was one center, on the Isle of Cité there was another, and on the right bank of the Seine there was a suburb of the city. All three parts were connected to each other by bridges.

The plan of the part of the city on the left bank is similar to a chessboard with quarters (insula) measuring 300x300 ancient Roman passes (88.8x88.8 m), with some deviations. For example, from the southeast the city was diagonally crossed by the road from Lyon, leading to the city center. Lutetia was an important trading post through which trade routes passed.

The buildings

During archaeological work, various public buildings were discovered. A forum was found, occupying two insulae, in the center of which there was a courtyard and a temple, and in the east stood a basilica. Most likely, the forum was surrounded on all sides by arcades and shops. An amphitheater a little further from the city and a theater in the center were also discovered. The theater, excavated between 1861 and 1884, occupied one insula and, with its semicircle and rectangular stage, is a typical Roman building. It was built in the 1st century AD. e. and demolished in the 4th century.

Thermal Baths

So far, three large baths have been discovered. The Cluny Baths still stand to this day; even the convex roof of one of the halls has been preserved. This building occupied an entire insula and consisted of the bathing hall itself and a courtyard located just to the south. It is one of the best preserved Roman buildings north of the Alps, but little remains of the interior. The walls were lined with marble and partially painted. There was also marble and mosaic on the floor. A mosaic was found depicting Eros with a dolphin.

The largest building stood near the Collège de France in the Latin Quarter and occupied two insulas. Now it is only partially excavated and dates back to the 1st century AD. e. Previously, one of the insulas housed living quarters, which were later rebuilt into thermae halls. Unfortunately, not all parts of this building have survived, so it is impossible to draw up a complete plan.

A third bathing establishment was discovered south of the forum.

To supply water to the city, a 26 km long aqueduct was built, most of it was underground. It adapted to the characteristics of the terrain, so it did not pass strictly in a straight line from the source to the city, but along a trajectory that corresponded to the landscape. Only in the river valley Bièvre [remove template] the aqueduct passed above the ground, becoming a bridge structure.

Living spaces

In different parts of the city you can find the remains of ancient Roman buildings, but due to the fact that they are poorly preserved, it is impossible to get an accurate picture of the architectural structures. Presumably, at first the city was dominated by wooden buildings, which were later replaced by stone buildings. In some houses, basements, hypocausts (devices for heating rooms) and remains of wall paintings have been preserved.

Little of the craftsmen's buildings has survived to this day; only two potteries have been discovered. There were also professions of boatman, stonemason and blacksmith, this information was obtained from surviving tombs.

Temples

Apart from the temple in the forum square, no other temples were found. However, two religious buildings were discovered outside the city. One of them is a Gallo-Roman complex of temples in honor of Mars. Another structure is the Temple of Mercury at the current Sacré-Coeur basilica on the Montmartre hill.

Late Antiquity

Despite its importance and size, the city did not have a city wall. When the political situation in Gaul began to deteriorate in the 3rd century, the city reduced its size and was located entirely on the Isle of Cité. The former parts of the city were now used as cemeteries, but it appears that the part of the city on the left bank remained inhabited. Also parts of the city were used as

The most important economic and cultural center of the country and the world. Located in north-central France, in the Ile-de-France region, on the banks of the Seine River.

Story

Formation of the city, power of the Romans

The Celtic tribe of Parisii settled on the Isle of Cité, also known as Lucoticia, around the 3rd century. BC. , forming a small fishing settlement. Its growth was facilitated by fertile soil and stone quarries. The city was named Lutetia.

The city regained its greatness only in the second half of the century.

Population

The population of Paris is multinational - in addition to the descendants of the Franks and Gauls, on the streets of the city and especially in its suburbs you can meet a large number of Arabs (mainly Algerians, Tunisians and Moroccans), people from former African colonies and the Antilles, Chinese (in the area of ​​Place d'Italie) and Vietnamese . Paris itself has 2,871,000 inhabitants.

Attractions

With its beauty, sophisticated style and luxury, Paris has inspired and continues to inspire artists and thinkers. For this reason it is sometimes called the “City of Light”. The symbol of Paris is the Eiffel Tower, visible from many parts of the southwestern part of the city.

Another symbol of Paris was the Arc de Triomphe connected to the Place de la Concorde by the famous Champs Elysees street. Adjacent to the Place de la Concorde on the eastern side along the axis of the Champs Elysees is the Tuileries Garden, laid out in the French (“regular”) style, and further in the same direction, the famous Louvre - the centuries-old residence of the French royal family, and now one of the world’s richest museums of painting and sculptures.

In the historical center of the city there are two of the most famous churches in France.

Education

Which European city used to be called Lutetia? History of origin of the name

March 15, 2015

Toponymy knows many examples of how the name of the same settlement changed throughout the entire time of its existence. From the distant past the name of one of the ancient cities came to us. Read below about which European city used to be called Lutetia, where it came from and why it has not survived to this day.

Origin of names

Cities and villages get their names from the people who inhabit them. But the meaning of this or that name is hidden from contemporaries. For example, for many London is a typical English name, and no one doubts that the city was named by the British. Few people realize that this name was given to the settlement by the ancient people who inhabited this area even before the Celts. Most scientists are inclined to believe that this name means “flow of water.” The Germanic tribe of Saxons, which replaced the original Celtic population, changed the ancient name, and the Romans changed the name of the settlement again. Thus, the name of a city or town can change many times, sometimes getting lost over the centuries, and sometimes reaching the present day in a changed form beyond recognition. Only in extreme cases do cities survive several centuries, retaining their ancient name, understandable to contemporaries.

Origin of the city

The search for the correct answer to the question of which European city used to be called Lutetia has given scientists food for many guesses and hypotheses. This name was found in ancient chronicles and manuscripts from the period of the Roman Empire, which means that we were talking about a fairly famous city. In fragmentary information from antiquity it was said that Julius Caesar led his troops to the walls of Lutetia. Even then the city was famous. Presumably it was located on the island of Cité and was the capital of the Parisian tribe. Archaeologists have discovered traces of stone piles on which ancient inhabitants built their houses. Ancient buildings and traces of structures characteristic of the late Neolithic era have been preserved. Finally, archaeologists have found several ancient coins - staters, which were minted in Lutetia before its conquest by the Romans.

The Parisian tribe fielded about 8 thousand trained warriors against Caesar’s troops, which means that at the time of the Roman occupation, Lutetia was a fairly influential and densely populated city-state.

City location

Traditionally, Lutetia was located on the Ile de la Cité, which is currently located in the central area of ​​Paris. But it should be taken into account that during the entire period of the existence of this city, the Seine repeatedly changed the outlines of its banks. What European city used to be called Lutetia has long been clarified, but scientists are still arguing about where this place was located. Research is hampered primarily by the fact that the area was repeatedly conquered and was the scene of ancient battles and modern battles. All the finds of that ancient time can be counted on one hand. But nevertheless, it is clear that Lutetia really existed and was a major European city.

Origin of the name

The geography of the location of this populated island itself gives an idea of ​​which European city used to be called Lutetia - Rome or Paris. The name of Rome has practically not changed over the millennia of its existence, but Paris began to be called that only after the Romans abandoned this settlement. Before this, the city was known as Parisium. Which meant "the place of settlement of the Parisians", a large tribe of Gallic origin, which made up the majority of the inhabitants of this area. Since the ancient notes of Julius Caesar were found and painstakingly analyzed, the debate about which European city used to be called Lutetia has ceased. Pictures of the original life of the ancient Gauls give an idea of ​​houses built on stilts, of the flows of silt and river mud that the Seine carried every year during its floods. On the one hand, this created inconvenience for the life and movement of people within the city, and on the other, it caused additional difficulties during the siege of Lutetia. The mud of the Seine fed many tribes who lived off agriculture. After all, the annual floods provided the necessary moisture and fertilized the fields near the city walls.

The ancient name of Lutetia comes from the Latin “dirt,” as the Romans showed their indignation at the constantly dirty streets of the city. There was hardly any talk about the cleanliness of its inhabitants: the ancient Roman and the ancient barbarian were in approximately the same conditions. It is natural to assume that the Romans, accustomed to a dry and sunny climate, were unpleasantly surprised by the floods of the Seine and the accumulation of silt deposits along its banks.

Thus, the name Lutetia appeared on maps of the Ancient World. But the very name of this settlement is undoubtedly associated with the Parisian tribe that lived there. Thus, the name Lutetia refers only to the period of the Roman conquest of Gaul. Before and after Rome, Lutetia bore the name Parisium, later changed to Paris.

conclusions

Only the painstaking work of archaeologists, linguists, and historians helped answer the question of which European city used to be called Lutetia. Photos of antiquities from the Isle of Cité indicate that the Parisians were engaged in fishing, willingly explored the banks of the Seine, and mastered the art of building river vehicles. The remains of buildings indicate the city's defense structures. The Arena of Lutetia, the ruins of which have survived to this day, gives an idea of ​​the strong influence of Roman civilization on the local peoples. Finally, Caesar's notes for 53 and 52 BC. e. confirm the existence of Lutetia.

There is only one answer to the question of which European city used to be called Lutetia. Ancient Paris received this name during the Roman conquest. After the Romans left, the Gauls returned the old name to their hometown. And it has survived to this day almost unchanged.

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The chemical elements hafnium (Hf), holmium (Ho) and lutetium (Lu) received their names from the Latin names of the cities of Copenhagen (Hafnia), Stockholm (Holmia) and Paris (Lutetia).

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But it retained its name even after the capture of opidum by the Romans. The origin of the name is not exactly clear. The origin of the name is derived either from the Celtic word luto-, luteuo-, which means “swamp”, or from the word lucot- (“mouse”).


1. Celtic settlement

The first remains of a settlement on the territory of Paris presumably date back to 4,000 BC. e. Found remains from the Bronze and Iron Ages. The first mention of Lutetia as a settlement on the island can be found in the 6th book of Julius Caesar's Notes on the Gallic War, which dates back to 53 BC. AD After Caesar, Lutetia was the main settlement of the Celtic tribe of the Parisians, but the few finds of archaeologists do not allow us to establish the exact location of the Celtic settlement. Historians assumed that Lutetia was located on one of the Seine islands, the Ile de la Cité, but no pre-Roman artifacts were found during excavations. Archaeological excavations carried out in 1994 and 2005 further cast doubt on the traditional location of Lutetia on the Ile de la Cité. During these excavations, the remains of a large settlement with an area of ​​15 hectares were found on the territory of today's Nanterre, which forces us to reassess the role of the settlement on the Ile de la Cité in the days before Roman colonization.


2. Roman period

The oldest finds (Italian amphoras, brooches) associated with the Roman period after the annexation of Gaul before the Roman Empire, dated 40-30 BC. That is, but they provide only scant information about those times. The settlement probably arose from a military camp, but evidence of this fact has not yet been found.

The settlement itself was founded at the beginning of the 1st century AD. e. It is assumed that it had three main points. On the left bank of the Seine there was one urban center, another center was located on the Ile de la Cité, and the third was on the right bank of the Seine, a suburb of Lutetia. All three parts were connected to each other by bridges.

The plan of the part of the city on the left bank is similar to a chessboard with quarters (insulitis) measuring 300-300 Roman belts (88.8 88.8 m), with some deviations. For example, from the southeast Lutetia was diagonally crossed by a road from Lyon, which leads to the city center. Lutetia was an important trading post through which trade routes passed.


3. Public buildings

Arenas of Lutetia today

During archaeological excavations, various public buildings were discovered. A forum was found, occupying two insulae, in the center of which there was a courtyard and a temple, and in the east stood a basilica. Most likely, the forum was surrounded on all sides by arcades and shops. An amphitheater a little further from the city and a theater in the center were also discovered. The theater, excavated between 1861 and 1884, occupied one insula and, with its semicircle and rectangular stage, is a typical Roman building. It was built in the 1st century AD. AD and demolished in the 4th century.


4. Baths

Baths of Cluny in the Latin Quarter

So far, three large thermal baths have been discovered. The Baths of Cluny still stand today; even the convex roof on one of the halls has been preserved. This thermal building occupied an entire insula and consisted of the bathing hall itself and a courtyard, located a little to the south. The Baths of Cluny is one of the best preserved Roman buildings north of the Alps, but not much of the interior decoration has survived. The walls were lined with marble and partially painted. The floor was also paved with marble and mosaics. A mosaic was found depicting Eros with a dolphin.

The largest building stood near the Collège de France in the Latin Quarter and occupied two insulas. Now the building is only partially excavated; it dates back to the 1st century AD. e. At first, living quarters were located in one of the insulas, which were later rebuilt into a thermal baths hall. Unfortunately, not all parts of this house have survived, so it is impossible to draw up a complete plan. A third bathing establishment in Lutetia was discovered south of the Forum.


5. Living quarters

In different parts of the city you can find the remains of ancient Roman buildings, but due to the fact that they are poorly preserved, it is impossible to get an accurate picture of the architectural structures. Probably at first the city was dominated by wooden buildings, which were later replaced by stone buildings. In some houses, cellars, hypocausts (devices for heating rooms) and remains of wall paintings have been preserved.

Little of the craft buildings has also survived to this day; only two pottery buildings have been discovered. However, it is known that the professions of boatman, stonemason and blacksmith existed in Lutetia, this information was obtained from surviving tombs.


6. Temples

Ship column

Apart from the temple on the forum square, no other temples have yet been discovered. However, two places of worship were found outside the city. One of them is a Gallo-Roman complex of temples in honor of Mars. Another structure is the Temple of Mercury on the site of the current Sacré-Coeur basilica on the Montmartre hill.


7. Ship column

A special attraction of Lutetia is the so-called “Ship Column” (lat. Nautae Parisiaci), fragments of which were found by Notre Dame Cathedral. The column depicts Celtic and Roman deities (Mars, Mercury, Venus). It was possible to date the monument using inscriptions from the time of Emperor Tiberius (14-37 AD). Thus, the Ship Column is the most sculpture of France that has survived to this day. Only four of its fragments survived.


8. Late Antiquity

Ancient ruins near Notre Dame

Despite the importance and size of the city, Lutetia did not have a city wall. When the political situation in Gaul began to deteriorate in the 3rd century, the city reduced its size and was located entirely on the Isle of Cité. The abandoned parts of the city were now used as thorns for a cemetery, but, according to some accounts, part of the city on the left bank remained inhabited.

The name Paris was first mentioned around 300. For a long time, Lutetia retained an important political role: since 355, it has been the residence of Caesar Julian, who was proclaimed Augustus in 360. In 365-366 Lutetia was the seat of the German campaigns by the bishop ISBN 2-07-053389-1)

  • Paul Marie Duval Paris antique des origines au milieu du | III-e s., Paris, Herrmann, 1961.
  • Paul Marie Duval Les inscriptions antiques de Paris, Paris, Coll. de l "histoire gnrale de Paris, 1961.
  • Bernard Jacomin Le pilier des Nautes de Lutce: Astronomie, mythologie et ftes celtiques, d. Yvelindition,mars 2006.
  • Henri d'Arbois de Jubainville, sus, Tarvos Trigaranus. La lgende de Cchulainn en Gaule et en Grande-Bretagne, in: La Revue Celtique XIX, 1898, p. 245-251.