chiefdom · France and the Low Countries

Atrebates

300 BCE – 51 BCE (approx.) · capital Nemetocenna

Belgic people of Artois whose king Commius served Caesar, then turned against him and founded a dynasty in Britain.

Origins

The Atrebates lived in the modern Artois around Nemetocenna (Arras). They joined the Belgic league in 57 BCE, promising fifteen thousand men, and fought beside the Nervii at the Sabis.

Rule and society

After their defeat Caesar made Commius their king and used him as an envoy to the Britons in 55 BCE, extending his authority over the Morini. Their coins and their links across the Channel show close ties with Britain, where a people of the same name lived.

Decline and legacy

Commius joined the great revolt of 52 BCE, helped lead the relief army at Alesia and later fled to Britain, where coins name his successors among the British Atrebates. Under Rome Nemetocenna became a civitas capital, the origin of Arras, and the name survives in Artois.

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Atrebates. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/atrebates
MLA
“Atrebates.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/atrebates. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Atrebates.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/atrebates.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Atrebates’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/atrebates (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻