Citation with stable link: Philip A. Harland, 'Celts: Tacitus on the revolt of Boians under Marricus (early second century CE),' Ethnic Relations and Migration in the Ancient World, last modified August 16, 2024, https://philipharland.com/Blog/?p=21275.

Ancient author: Tacitus, Histories 2.61 (link).

Comments: Tacitus’ story of a revolt by the Celtic Boians (placed in 69 CE) is much much shorter than his accounts of revolts by Britons (under Boudicca – link) and Batavians (under Civilis – link). But it does once again seek to characterize a particular population (in this case a population likely located just south of the Alps in what is now northern Italy). Tacitus’ sketch is much more directly negative here, and there are no attempts to fill out the characters involved with the use of enemy speeches. Nor is there any hint of critique of Roman imperial expansion or colonialism from the subjugated perspective. The result is a very brief and dismissive characterization of a supposedly “stupid” people.

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(2.61) With so many important men endangered, it is embarrasing to relate how a certain Mariccus, a common Boian, dared to take a hand in Fortune’s game and to challenge the Roman army under the pretence of the will of the gods [69 CE]. This liberator of the Gauls, this god – for he had given himself that honour – after collecting eight thousand men, was already plundering the Aeduan villages nearest him, when that most important city [likely Augustodunum / Autun, France] – with the best of its youth and the cohorts which Vitellius supplied – dispersed the fanatical crowd. Mariccus was taken prisoner in the battle. Later, when he was exposed to the beasts and the animals did not tear him to pieces, the stupid populace believed him inviolable, until he was executed before the eyes of Vitellius [emperor for eight months in 69 CE].

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Source of translation: C.H. Moore and J. Jackson, Tacitus: Histories, Annals, 4 volumes, LCL (Cambridge, MA: HUP, 1925-37), public domain (copyright not renewed), adapted by Harland.