tribal confederation · Italy

Cenomani

400 BCE – 89 BCE (approx.) · capital Brixia

Celtic people of the plain around Brescia and Verona who, unlike other Cisalpine Gauls, were usually allies of Rome.

Origins

Livy describes the Cenomani as Gauls who crossed the Alps under a leader named Elitovius in the 5th or 4th century BCE and settled in the lands around Brixia (Brescia) and Verona, between the Insubres and the Veneti.

Rule and society

Brixia was their main centre. They farmed the plain and traded with the Veneti and Etruscans. Their relations with their Celtic neighbours were often hostile, and in 225 BCE they joined the Veneti in sending troops to help Rome against the Insubres and Boii. Apart from joining a revolt in 200–197 BCE, they remained Roman allies.

Decline and legacy

After 197 BCE the Cenomani stayed loyal and were gradually Romanised. Their towns received Latin rights in 89 BCE and full citizenship in 49 BCE. Brixia became a Roman colony and Verona a leading town of northern Italy.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Connections (1)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻