NITIOBRIGES
Eth.
NITIOBRIGES（
Νιτίοβριγες), a people of Aquitania. In Pliny (
4.19) the name Antobroges occurs: “
rursus Narbonensi provinciae contermini Ruteni, Cadurci, Antobroges, Tarneque amne discreti a Tolosanis Petrocori.” There is no doubt that Antobroges is an error, and that the true reading is Nitiobroges or Nitiobriges.
The termination
briges appears to be the same as that of the word Allobroges.
The chief town of the Nitiobriges, Aginnum (
Agen), is mentioned by Ptolemy (
2.7.4), who places them next to the Petrocorii on one side, and to the Vasatii on the other. Strabo enumerates them between the Cadurci and the Petrocorii (
Strab. iv. p.190): "the Petrocorii, and next to them the Nitiobriges, and Cadurci, and the Bituriges, who are named Cubi."
The position of the Nitiobriges is determined by these facts and by the site of Aginnum, to be on the
Garonne, west of the Cadurci and south of the Petrocorii. D'Anville makes their territory extend beyond the then limits of the diocese of
Agen, and into the diocese of
Condom.
When Caesar (
Caes. Gal. 7.46) surprised the Galli in their encampment on the hill which is connected with the plateau of Gergovia, Teutomatus king of the Nitiobriges narrowly escaped being made prisoner.
The element
Teut in this king's name is the name of a Gallic deity, whom some authorities suppose to be the Gallic Mercurius (Lactant.
De falsa Relig. 1.21; and the Schol. on Lucan,
1.445, ed. Oudendorp). Others have observed that it is the same element as
Teut in the Teutonic language, and as
Dis, from whom the Galli pretended to spring (Pelloutier,
Hist. des Celtes,
Liv. 1.100.14). The Nitiobriges sent 5000 men to the relief of Alesia when it was blockaded by Caesar (
Caes. Gal. 7.75).
[
G. L.]
