chiefdom · France and the Low Countries

Eburones

300 BCE – 53 BCE (approx.) · capital Atuatuca

Belgic people between the Meuse and the Rhine who destroyed a Roman legion in 54 BCE and were wiped out by Caesar in revenge.

Origins

The Eburones lived between the Meuse and the Rhine, in modern eastern Belgium and the southern Netherlands. Caesar counts them among the Germani Cisrhenani and says they had paid tribute to the Aduatuci.

Rule and society

They were ruled jointly by two kings, Ambiorix and the elderly Catuvolcus. Their stronghold was Atuatuca, where Caesar stationed troops for the winter of 54 BCE.

Decline and legacy

In 54 BCE Ambiorix lured the legion and a half under Sabinus and Cotta out of Atuatuca and destroyed it. In 53 BCE Caesar invited neighbouring peoples to plunder their land; Catuvolcus poisoned himself with yew, while Ambiorix escaped. Their territory was later settled by the Tungri.

Connections (2)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻