Orobii

{{Short description|Celto-Ligurian tribe}}

The Orobii (also Orobi, Oromobi or Orumbovii) were a Celto-Ligurian tribe dwelling around present-day Como and Bergamo during the Iron Age.

Name

They are mentioned as Orobii by Cato the Elder (early 2nd century BC).{{Sfn|Vietti|2008}}

The ethnic name Orobii appears to be of Celtic origin. It can be compared with the Gaulish noun orbioi (sing. orbios), meaning 'the heirs', with the feminine forms Orobia and Urbia (earlier *Orbia), the ancient names of the Orge river and {{Ill|Orge (stream)|lt=Orge stream|fr|Orge (ruisseau)}}, and with the i-stem Orobis, now the Orb river.{{sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=243}}

Some classical writers such as Pliny the Elder thought that their name was of Greek origin, tracing the etymology from the Greek Orōn bion (Ορων βιον).C. Cantù, Storia di Como e sua provincia, Como, 1859.

Geography

The Orobii dwelled between the modern cities of Como and Bergamo. The Sottoceneri was part of their area of influence.{{Sfn|Vietti|2008}}

Their territory was located north of the Gallianates, Bromanenses, and Anesiates, east of the Subinates and Ausuciates, west of the Gennanates, Trumplini and Camunni, south of the Aneuniates.{{harvnb|Talbert|2000}}, Map 19 Raetia; Map 39: Mediolanum.

History

Modern archaeologists and linguists see the Orobii as a population of Celticized Ligures, or Celtic-Ligures, formed with the contribution of Celtic immigrants from the Rhine and the Danube areas in an early historical period, before the Gallic invasions of the 4th century BC.M. Gianoncelli, "Vecchie e nuove ipotesi sulla stirpe degli Orobi", in Oblatio; A. Noseda ed, Como, 1971.R. de Marinis, "La civiltà di Golasecca", in La Lombardia, Jaka book, 1985.

Pliny the Elder says they founded the cities of Como, Bergamo, Licini Forum, and Parra.Pliny the Elder, Naturalis Historia, III, 124-125.

Culture

Like the Lepontii and Insubres, the Orobii are associated with the archaeological Golasecca culture.{{Sfn|Vietti|2008}}

See also

References

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=Bibliography=

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  • {{Cite book|last=Delamarre|first=Xavier|title=Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental|year=2003|publisher=Errance|isbn=9782877723695|author-link=Xavier Delamarre}}
  • {{Cite book|last=Talbert|first=Richard J. A.|title=Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2000|isbn=978-0691031699|author-link=Richard Talbert}}
  • {{Cite journal|last=Vietti|first=Gianluca|date=2008|title=Orobi|journal=Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz|postscript=. [https://hls-dhs-dss.ch/it/articles/047242/2008-10-17 047242/2008-10-17].}}

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{{Gallic peoples}}

{{Ligurian peoples}}

{{Authority control}}

Category:Ancient peoples of Italy

Category:Historical Celtic peoples

Category:Ligures

Category:Gauls

Category:Golasecca culture