The Intimilii or Intemelii were a Ligurian tribe dwelling on the

Mediterranean The Mediterranean Sea ( ) is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the east by the Levant in West Asia, on the north by Anatolia in West Asia and Southern ...

coast, around present-day Ventimiglia, during the

Iron Age The Iron Age () is the final epoch of the three historical Metal Ages, after the Chalcolithic and Bronze Age. It has also been considered as the final age of the three-age division starting with prehistory (before recorded history) and progre ...

and the Roman period.

Name

They are mentioned as ''Intimilii'' by Caelius Rufus (49 BC), ''Intemelii'' by

Livy Titus Livius (; 59 BC – AD 17), known in English as Livy ( ), was a Roman historian. He wrote a monumental history of Rome and the Roman people, titled , covering the period from the earliest legends of Rome before the traditional founding i ...

(late 1st c. BC), and as ''Intemélioi'' (Ἰντεμέλιοι) by

Strabo Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Gnaeus Pompeius Strabo, Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-si ...

(early 1st c. AD). The modern city of Ventimiglia, attested as ''oppidum Album Intimilium'' by Pliny (late 1st c. AD) and as ''Álbion Intemélion'' (Ἄλβιον Ἰντεμέλιον) by Strabo, is named after the Ligurian tribe. The ethnic name ''Intimilii'' appears to be of Indo-European origin. Patrizia de Bernardo Stempel has proposed to interpret their chief town, ''Album Intimilium'', as stemming from an earlier *''Albion Vindi-mell-ion'' ('the white-hill town').

Geography

The Intemelli dwelled on the Mediterranean coast, east of Mont Agel around the town of Album Intimilium (modern Ventimiglia). Their territory was located east of the Vediantii, west of the Ingauni, and south of the Epanterii. Their chief town was known as Album (or Albium) Intimilium, and later as Albintimilium. Mentioned as an '' oppidum'' by Pliny and as a ''

municipium In ancient Rome, the Latin term (: ) referred to a town or city. Etymologically, the was a social contract among ('duty holders'), or citizens of the town. The duties () were a communal obligation assumed by the in exchange for the privileges ...

'' by

Tacitus Publius Cornelius Tacitus, known simply as Tacitus ( , ; – ), was a Roman historian and politician. Tacitus is widely regarded as one of the greatest Roman historians by modern scholars. Tacitus’ two major historical works, ''Annals'' ( ...

, the settlement was devastated by the supporters of Otho in 69 AD.

History

In 180 BC, the consul Aulus Postumius Albinus, after vanquishing the nearby mountain Ligurians, sent ships to reconnoiter the shores of the Intemelii and Ingauni, which suggests that they were regarded as a potentially hostile tribe by Rome at that time. In March 49 BC, during the

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

, Caelius Rufus reported to his friend

Cicero Marcus Tullius Cicero ( ; ; 3 January 106 BC – 7 December 43 BC) was a Roman statesman, lawyer, scholar, philosopher, orator, writer and Academic skeptic, who tried to uphold optimate principles during the political crises tha ...

that Demetrius, a garrison-commander from

Pompey Gnaeus Pompeius Magnus (; 29 September 106 BC – 28 September 48 BC), known in English as Pompey ( ) or Pompey the Great, was a Roman general and statesman who was prominent in the last decades of the Roman Republic. ...

's army, had been bribed by one faction among the Intimilii to murder the local notable and former host of Caesar named Domitius. The people of Intimilium took the arms and Caelius was forced to come there with some cohorts through the snow to restore order.

Name

Geography

History

References

Primary sources

Bibliography