Know Your Celts - Mediomatrici

Lands of the ancient Mediomatrici Celts in modern-day Lorraine in France

Clan Name: Mediomatrici, given to them by the Romans, which means “the people between the Matrona (Marne) and the Matra (rivers)”

Belong to: The Gallia Belgica of the Belgae Nation

Geographic Location: Area known today as Lorraine in the region known as Alsace Lorraine located in modern-day France.

Capital City: Divodurum - better known today as Metz in modern-day France.

Language believed to have been spoken: Gallic Celtic, known as Belgae

Closest surviving language: Cornish

Language spoken in the region today: French and German 

Divodurum or Metz in the 2nd Century CE

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Roman Museum Schwarzenacker

Temple gardens in the Roman Museum in Schwarzenacker

Each year more new and sensational archaeological finds are being made in Central Europe, and they’re waiting for you to re-discover them. Last year a brand new Roman museum opened its doors to the public in the town of Schwarzenacker, a town in Germany. This brand new museum houses not only a collection of unique artifacts depicting the every day lives of Iron Age Romans and Celts, but it’s also an archaeological dig-site in progress. 

Schwarzenacker (which means “Black Acre” in English) used to be a thriving Roman-Gallic town in Gaul. Of course, that’s not the original name of the town. Unfortunately it’s been lost to history. Based on the extensive ruins uncovered, archaeologists are certain Schwarzenacker was an important trading center located on the crossroads between four major Roman-Gallic cities: Metz (Divodurum) and Strasbourg (Argentoratum) in modern-day France; Mainz (Mogontiacum) and Trier (Treverorum) in modern-day Germany.

The archaeological record shows much evidence that the town was a thriving Roman/Celtic community. Most of the better artifacts are religious cult objects, found side-by-side in temples dedicated to Mercury, the Roman God of commerce and Epona, the Celtic horse Goddess. Historically Epona was worshiped by Celtic horse breeders and wagoners. The fact that both these particular deities were worshiped side-by-side points to the fact that Schwarzenacker was an important Roman-Gallic trade center.

The Celtic clan who lived in Schwarzenacker were the Mediomatrici; a clan who belonged to the Belgae Nation. The Mediomatrici are one of the best examples that not all Celtic clans were enemies of Rome. They had very good reasons for cooperating with the Romans. For centuries they’d fought against a Germanic clan known as the Alemanni, who belonged to the Suebi Nation. It’s the age-old fight over dominance of the lush and fertile Upper Rhine River Valley and the Saar Region. Both lay claim to the entire Valley as rightfully theirs. Fights between the Germans and Gauls for dominance over this area have lasted all the way into the middle of the 20th century.

When the Mediomatrici Celts formed an alliance with the Romans they not only succeeded in driving the Germans out of the Rhine River Valley, but became rich through “government contracts” for providing the Roman Army with horses, wagons, food, clothing, personnel and weaponry. But Pax Romana didn’t last forever. It only lasted as long as Rome had enough money and resources to govern Gaul, and so, in the year of 276 CE, the Germanic Alemanni returned to sack and loot Schwarzenacker and drive the Celts back to to the other side of the Saar River.

Today you can see the restored temple gardens dedicated to the Godf Mercury, along with a few Roman-Gallic settlement buildings. The museum houses a myriad of unique Roman and Celtic artifacts. The museum also offers an interactive program for experiencing first-hand what Roman-Gallic life was like in 1st Century CE.

If you would like more information about the true Roman-Celtic experience in Iron Age Europe, contact us here at Days of Yore Travel.

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Porta Nigra - The Black Gate

Porta Nigra - The Black Gate at night

It's hard to imagine long ago there once was a large and impressive Roman city in Germany, but that's what Trier or Augustus Trevori was - Emperor Augustus' city in the land of the Celtic clan of the Trevori. This ancient metropole on the Mosel river has an entire program of interactive re-discovery about this magnificent gate along with the other Roman sites to see. It received its name from the locals, because the grey sandstone oxidizes and turns naturally black - hence the name Porta Nigra or the 'Black Gate'

If you are looking for an authentic 'Roman Holiday' - not just seeing this magnificent monument of Roman architecture, but an in-depth experience with living history, please write to us for more information about Days of Yore Travel. 

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How cool would it be to see inside a real Roman fort?

This is the main entry gate to the Saalburg Roman fortress.

This is the main gate of a real ancient Roman fort on the ancient frontier of Germania, from back in the days where only a picket wall separated the Germanic barbarians from Roman civilization; a fort just like you would expect to see in the film “Gladiator”. Except this is no Hollywood backdrop. It’s the real thing and a UNESCO World Cultural Heritage site, just a few miles outside the City of Frankfurt.

How would you like to see how real Romans lived? Maybe learn how to swing a gladius sword? Or throw a pilum spear? Or how about dining in Roman style? With Days of Yore Travel we can take you back in time to experience what life was like living on the Roman frontier. If you would like to experience the true Roman feeling, send us an email for more information. 

Photo courtesy of Carsten Gurk © 2009. All rights reserved. Used by permission.     

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