Arverni | Gallic Tribe, Celtic Culture, Gauls | Britannica (original) (raw)

Arverni, Celtic tribe that inhabited what is now the region of Auvergne, in central France. The Arverni dominated an extensive territory in the 2nd century bc, until they were defeated by the Romans in 121. In about 60 they invited Ariovistus, king of a German tribe, to aid them against their old rivals, the Aedui, giving Caesar a pretext for his Gallic Wars. In 52 bc their chieftain, Vercingetorix, organized an extensive uprising against Caesar and defeated him at Gergovia (present-day Gergovie), but he was in turn defeated and captured by Caesar at Alesia (present-day Alise-Sainte-Reine) in 51. Under the Roman Empire the tribe was peaceful and prosperous. Their capital was moved to the new Roman city of Augustonemetum (present-day Clermont-Ferrand).