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Armorica's District of
Condate
Ceann mor:
Position is currently vacant
As you approach the hill and look down at the settlement encroaching on the Ille and Vilaine rivers, what will one day be called Civitas Riedonum by the Romans and then Redones, you begin to see at the entrance of the settlement an old grizzled figure sitting, watching. You approach slowly and his eyes look alert and wary. “I suppose you want entrance?” he said looking up from his knife and wood. He looks to be a weary veteran. “Yes, and some information about this place, I am just a simple traveler.” You tell him trying to look non-threatening. He looks up with a toothless grin, holding out his hand. You place a few coins there.  Sitting on a nearby rock, you listen attentively as he warms up to the story well worn and retold. This veteran tells it as the way to assuage his pride that Romans are obviously and firmly in control. “We gave them a good fight but they were determined to tear us down. They knew our Breton brothers would fight with us so the attacked quickly. Our strength added to the Gaulish coalition of tribes was a threat to those Roman dogs. HAHA! And we had them by the short-hairs, when we held those emissaries hostage. I guess that made their chief mad, Julius Ceasar, or something like that. He had to come and fight us then. He sent that Crassus fellow.[2] I guess the Romans don’t understand the importance of enemy hostages. We fought hard but had not enough to keep those hordes away. Then, the next year he goes and crosses the waters (the Channel), I guess he dinna want those Breton brothers to help us overthrow them for good. And we could have!!”  “Feh. Merchants all of them, and their armies are to make their merchants fat. They are not true tribesmen with connection to the land. I hear the only reason they allowed most of us to live was because of some good road. They have one called via Osismii now—connecting Condate—yes Condate not that Roman name” he said spitting. “connecting it to Vorgium.” “But mark my words, there is trouble for them yet. I heard tell of a new warrior of the tribes, is planning on routing these Romans once and for all… young men and old are starting to sneak over to him—Vercingetorix, that’s his name. He is calling the tribes.[3]” the old man begins to cackle then cough losing his breath. You place your hand on his shoulders racked in a spasm from coughing. “Thank you. I appreciate the time you have spent with me. I guess I better go in and find lodging before night falls.” The warrior eyes are still looking off into the distance at the hill. He no longer seems to be watching for strangers, but for a new chance for his people to recapture glory.  In 275, the threat of barbarian invasion, led to erection of a large brick wall. Thus, it is speculated, Rennes became known as the “red town.” It is said that Rennes also was on of the last strongholds in the 5th century of the western Roman Empire. They fought against Clovis I. The bishop of the time in Rennes, brokered a peace treaty between the Franks and the Amoricans in 497 AD. The quote “Peace must be made between Christians” had been attributed to Bishop Melanie. Footnotes [1] Large amount of these coins similar to the Greek and Roman practice of issuing coins was found in what is now called “treasure of Amanlis” in June 1835. Later another cache of cash was discovered Saint-Jacques-de-la-Lande in Febuary 1941 and can be found in the Museum of Rennes. [2] XXXIV.--At the same time he was informed by P. Crassus, whom he had sent with one legion against the Veneti, the Unelli, the Osismii, the Curiosolitae, the Sesuvii, the Aulerci, and the Rhedones, which are maritime states, and touch upon the [Atlantic] ocean, that all these nations were brought under the dominion and power of the Roman people (Ceaser Gallic Wars II.34). (57 BCE). [3] LXXV.--Whilst those things are carried on at Alesia, the Gauls, having
convened a council of their chief nobility, determine that all who could
bear arms should not be called out, which was the opinion of
Vercingetorix, but that a fixed number should be levied from each state;
lest, when so great a multitude assembled together, they could neither
govern nor distinguish their men, nor have the means of supplying them
with corn. They demand thirty-five thousand men from the Aedui and their
dependents,[ ………... ]six thousand, from all the states together which border on the Atlantic, and which in their dialect are called Armoricae (in which number are comprehended the Curisolites, Rhedones, Ambibari, Caltes, Osismii, Lemovices, Veneti, and Unelli). Of these the Bellovaci did not contribute their number, as they said that they would wage war against
the Romans on their own account, and at their own discretion, and would not obey the order of any one: however, at the request of Commius, they sent two thousand, in consideration of a tie of hospitality which subsisted between him and them (Ceaser Gallic Wars VII.75). (52 BCE)
(All of these are approximately the same article word for word, with no citation of author on any of them). Also.... Image Credits: Neighbourhood builders:
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