Talk:Ambiorix

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[edit] Various points

Generally a very good article, but I'd like to raise a few points. 1) You say Ambiorix' name means "rich king" and is of Celtic origin though the Eburones are a Germanic tribe. The Eburones were part of a federation along with many tribes which were mostly Celtic. Now I assume that you take your view of the Eburones as being Germani from Caesar, who claimed (I think) that the Belgae had Germanic ancestors. However, some historians have viewed this as a propaganda: Caesar needed an excuse why he was entitled to intervene in Belgica (which, after all, did not pose a threat to the Roman provinces of Narbonensis and Gallia Transalpina), and claiming that the Belgae were related to the dreaded Germani (who, thanks to the Cimbri and Teutones, were a popular bogeyman) seemed like just the thing. Generally, tribes like the Eburones, Treveri, Usipetes etc. may be called Celtogermanic or Germanoceltic; they dwelt in a region where cultural influences mixed. For example, chief Indutiomarus of the Treveri bears a Germanic name, but participated in a Gallic uprising (suggesting that he viewed himself, and his tribe, as Gauls). So maybe there ought to be some discussion of this. (Just a short phrase; the article, after all, is about Ambiorix, not about the Eburones.) 2) The article is just a tiny bit casual in style, and maybe slightly more "academic" verbiage would be better in places. 3) Maybe there could be a lengthier description of the battle in which Sabinus and Cotta perished along with an entire legion? This is relevant since it reveals Ambiorix' tactical cleverness.