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Cenabum, France, 50 BC

Cenabum, France, 50 BC

Existence: Around 400 Years, From 450 til 53 BC
Belonged to: Carnutes, Rome
Abandoned: War

Cenabum was the name capital of the Carnutes, a Gaelic tribe who lived around the River Loire area in present-day France.

This port was the commercial outlet for the grain produced in the Beauce region. The city had strong fortifications, and also controlled a bridge over the Loire of considerable economic and strategic importance.

For Caesar, it was imperative to secure control of this strategic location. He easily succeeded in establishing a protectorate over the Carnutes whilst assuring himself of the collaboration of Tasgetios, whom he re-established on his ancestors' throne in return for services rendered. However, this situation came to an end after two years, when in 54 BC Tasgetios (considered a traitor) was assassinated and (in the dead of winter) Caesar ordered the occupation of Cenabum by Roman legions.

It was Cenabum which gave the signal for the Gallic revolt of which Vercingetorix quickly became the head and which was the motivation for Caesar's seventh Gallic campaign. In 53 BC, Roman merchants who had established themselves at Cenabum, the overseer Gaius Cita whom Caesar had installed there to control commerce and to ensure his legions' grain supply, and some Roman troops garrisoning the town were all massacred or thrown into the Loire by the Carnutes.

Rushing back from Italy at phenomenal speed, Caesar reached Cenabum by forced marches and did not even need to besiege it. On his approach, its population attempted to flee via a wooden bridge linking the two banks of the Loire, whilst the Romans scaled the ramparts, captured the remaining inhabitants and pillaged and burned the city to the ground. The city was destroyed and remained uninhabited for the next 300 years.

In the 3rd century AD, the emperor Aurelian rebuilt the ruined town (273-274), reconstructed its defences, detached the new town from the territory of the Carnutes, and named it after himself Aurelianum or civitas Aurelianorum, which later metamorphosed into the word Orléans.