Convictolitavis (''

fl. ''Floruit'' (; abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for "they flourished") denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indicatin ...

'' mid-1st century BC) was a prominent member of the Celtic ''

civitas In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities () on th ...

'' of the Haedui during the Gallic Wars. He played a significant role in the pan- Gallic rebellion of 52 BC, as narrated by

Julius Caesar Gaius Julius Caesar (; ; 12 July 100 BC – 15 March 44 BC), was a Roman general and statesman. A member of the First Triumvirate, Caesar led the Roman armies in the Gallic Wars before defeating his political rival Pompey in a civil war, and ...

in Book 7 of his '' Commentarii de Bello Gallico''. In the seventh year of the war, Caesar was surprised by the scope and strength of the resistance mounted by Vercingetorix, a leader of the neighboring

Arverni The Arverni (Gaulish: *''Aruernoi'') were a Gallic people dwelling in the modern Auvergne region during the Iron Age and the Roman period. They were one of the most powerful tribes of ancient Gaul, contesting primacy over the region with the ne ...

, who was able to rally a number of Gallic ''civitates'' and tribes in a united effort to halt the Roman conquest of Gaul. Haeduan loyalties during this time appear to have been divided; the Aedui had been allies of Rome and enemies of the Arverni at least since the 120s BC, but Caesar was aware of opposing pro- and anti-Roman factions within the ''civitas'' from the beginning of the war. This division recurs in the disputed Haeduan election for the annual office of vergobret, which Caesar describes as the chief

magistracy A magistrates' court is a lower court where, in several jurisdictions Jurisdiction (from Latin 'law' + 'declaration') is the legal term for the legal authority granted to a legal entity to enact justice. In federations like the United State ...

of the ''civitas''. Two men claimed victory: Convictolitavis and Cotus, whose brother had held the office the previous year. Aeduan law sought to limit the dynastic accumulation of power within a family by prohibiting a man from holding the vergobrecy if a close relative had within a specified period of time. Cotus, whatever the outcome of the vote, should have been ineligible. A Haeduan delegation called in the Roman proconsul to mediate. Caesar claims that he did not want to involve himself with an internal political matter, and he could ill afford to turn his attention from Vercingetorix, but the instability of the Haedui and an impending civil war among what had long been Rome's staunchest ally in central Gaul warranted his presence. After reviewing the case and learning that the priests had already ratified the election of Convictolitavis, Caesar rejected the claim of Cotus and hastened back to his army. Having obtained the desired office and Caesar's good graces, Convictolitavis no longer pretended to resist the rebellion. The Aeduan army, led by

Litaviccus Litaviccus (ca. 50 BC) was a member of the Gallic tribe of Aedui. He played an important role at the Siege of Gergovia. Though the Aedui at first supported Julius Caesar in his struggle against Vercingetorix, they defected from the Romans and join ...

,According to Caesar, the vercobret was required to remain within Aeduan borders for the duration of his term in office. was supposed to aid the Roman army at the

siege of Gergovia The Battle of Gergovia took place in 52 BC in Gaul at Gergovia, the chief oppidum (fortified town) of the Arverni. The battle was fought between a Roman Republican army, led by proconsul Julius Caesar, and Gallic forces led by Vercingetorix, wh ...

, but instead turned against Caesar. Forced to split up his army in order to deal with the approaching Haedui, Caesar lost the siege. Gergovia is noted as one of the few occasions in Gaul when Caesar was unquestionably out-generaled.

References

Celtic warriors Celts Gaulish rulers Barbarian people of the Gallic Wars {{AncientRome-bio-stub