Sanctuary of the Three Gauls
The year 12 BC marked a turning point in the western provinces of Rome. Drusus, stepson to Augustus and provincial governor, stood at the junction of three new Imperial provinces. He founded the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls in rapid response to a rebellion provoked by the census of Gallia Comata. This site became the earliest and most important institution of its kind in the Western Roman empire. It embodied a policy of integrated military, civil and religious settlement among unstable regions. Lugdunum provided a centralized base for the Imperial governorships of Gallia Aquitania, Gallia Belgica and Gallia Lugdunensis. The sanctuary served to federalise and develop Gallia Comata as an Imperial province under Augustus. An annual Roman-style concilium gathered provincial elites based on existing Gallic political practices. These meetings were sanctified under the tutelage of Lugh according to some scholars. A single urban cohort maintained a relatively discreet local presence within the complex. The monumentally lavish development provided context for acculturation of a new Romano-Gallic polity.
August 1st of either 10 BC or 12 BC became the inaugural day of the sanctuary. Caius Julius Vercondaridubnus emerged as the first high priest from the Aeduan elite. His name indicates both Roman citizenship and Gallic origins. Drusus invited 60 aristocratic delegates to the opening ceremony as representatives of the Three Gauls. These delegates formed the first members of the official concilium Galliarum. The office of sacerdos required Roman citizenship but early councils combined citizens and non-citizens. The sacredos held great consequence within the council and his own provincial order. His influence extended well beyond his term which lasted only one year unlike lifetime priesthoods in Rome itself. This priesthood provided an important step in the provincial cursus honorum. Annual gatherings involved renewal of vows through priestly sacrifice at the ara. Feasting, games, contests of eloquence and poetry accompanied these calendrical events. The small amphitheatre built to accommodate these concilia was later much expanded. Lugdunum hosted a major Imperial mint whose coinage provides principal evidence for altar form and development.
The geographer Strabo described the sanctuary located on the hillside of la Croix-Rousse. He noted it stood at the junction of rivers before the city proper. The monumental altar and its 50-meter base were constructed from marble. Two winged victories of gilt bronze flanked the structure holding palms and gold crowns. These figures stood on Ionic capitals set on columns assumed to be the source for four pillars of St-Martin-d'Ainay basilica. Egyptian syenite pillars recovered in the 11th century had been sawn in half to create these supports. An open altar appears to have been rebuilt as a covered temple in 121 AD during Hadrian's reign. Fishwick suggests images and inscriptions in Strabo's account are stylistically Greek additions made after inauguration. The larger altar focused cult to the genius of the living emperor and dea Roma. The temple itself dedicated to deceased Imperial divi and major Roman and local deities. This architectural transformation marked significant evolution from initial construction phases.
Lugdunum remained the major Western Imperial mint until some time between 37 AD and 41 AD. Coins issued under Augustus depict the altar of the Three Gauls with specific iconography. A dupondius from this period shows the altar currently held by Musée d'archéologie nationale de Saint-Germain-en-Laye. These numismatic records provide principal evidence for form and development of the sanctuary. Silver and gold coins were produced there according to Strabo's geographical description. The mint's security requirements likely accounted for presence of Lugdunum's single military cohort. Visual depictions on currency preserved details that might otherwise be lost to time. Images show winged victories holding palms and gold crowns standing on Ionic capitals. Such coinage serves as primary source material for reconstructing the original altar design. The mint operated continuously while other provincial centers shifted their production locations.
A draper discovered a bronze plaque in his vineyard during 1528 on the sanctuary site. The tablet measured 2.5 meters by 1.93 meters and bore Claudius's speech from 48 AD. This inscription made Gallic chieftains eligible for Roman magistracies and Senate membership. A version of the same speech survives in Tacitus but the physical tablet offers unique archaeological value. It now resides within the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon after its unearthing. The find-spot directly corresponds to the ancient sanctuary location described by earlier geographers. Bronze tablets like this one provided crucial evidence regarding citizenship rights expansion. The text engraved upon it represents imperial policy toward provincial elites. Scholars study both the physical artifact and literary versions to understand full implications. This discovery transformed modern understanding of Gallic integration into Roman political structures.
Septimius Severus re-founded and reformed the Imperial cult center shortly after 198 or 199 AD following defeat of Clodius Albinus. His actions transformed the sanctuary into an instrument of suppression and autocracy. The image of dea Roma was removed from the ara and confined to the temple interior. Images of living and deceased Augusti combined uniquely within Western Empire religious practice. Fishwick interprets these reformed rites as those offered a Roman paterfamilias by his slaves. This development marked significant shift away from earlier inclusive practices. Duration and subsequent developments remain unknown to modern historians. The restructuring occurred during period of intense military conflict in Gaul. Political motivations drove changes to existing religious ceremonies and spatial arrangements. Autocratic control replaced previous federalizing strategies employed under Augustus.
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Common questions
When was the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls founded and by whom?
Drusus founded the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls in 12 BC as a rapid response to a rebellion provoked by the census of Gallia Comata. This site became the earliest and most important institution of its kind in the Western Roman empire.
Who served as the first high priest at the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls and when did it open?
Caius Julius Vercondaridubnus emerged as the first high priest from the Aeduan elite during the inauguration on August 1st of either 10 BC or 12 BC. His name indicates both Roman citizenship and Gallic origins while his office required Roman citizenship but early councils combined citizens and non-citizens.
Where is the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls located and what materials were used for construction?
The geographer Strabo described the sanctuary located on the hillside of la Croix-Russe at the junction of rivers before the city proper. The monumental altar and its 50-meter base were constructed from marble with two winged victories of gilt bronze flanking the structure holding palms and gold crowns.
What evidence exists regarding the design and development of the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls?
Lugdunum hosted a major Imperial mint whose coinage provides principal evidence for altar form and development including silver and gold coins produced there according to Strabo's geographical description. Coins issued under Augustus depict the altar of the Three Gauls with specific iconography such as winged victories holding palms and gold crowns standing on Ionic capitals.
What was discovered about the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls in 1528 and why does it matter?
A draper discovered a bronze plaque in his vineyard during 1528 on the sanctuary site that measured 2.5 meters by 1.93 meters and bore Claudius's speech from 48 AD. This inscription made Gallic chieftains eligible for Roman magistracies and Senate membership while the tablet now resides within the Gallo-Roman Museum of Lyon after its unearthing.
How did Septimius Severus change the Sanctuary of the Three Gauls after 198 or 199 AD?
Septimius Severus re-founded and reformed the Imperial cult center shortly after 198 or 199 AD following defeat of Clodius Albinus transforming the sanctuary into an instrument of suppression and autocracy. The image of dea Roma was removed from the ara and confined to the temple interior while images of living and deceased Augusti combined uniquely within Western Empire religious practice.