The so-called "Via Belgica"

[Jona Lendering]

"Via Belgica" is the name modern archaeologists have given to the road that connected the capitals of the Ambiani, Atrebates, Nervians, Tungi, and Ubii (in other words: Amiens, Arras, Bavay, Tongeren, Cologne) in northern Gaul. The name has no ancient precedents. Earlier researchers called this road -which dates back to the Neolithicum and is still in use- "Chaussée Brunehaut", but it has little to do with the Merovingian queen. So, both names are incorrect.

What I am trying to find out, is the model on which the quasi-Latin "Via Belgica" is based. The Romans named their roads after the men who built them: Via Appia, Via Flaminia, Via Egnatia, Via Augusta, or Strata Diocletiana. In the inner cities, the qualities of the road or pavement might be important: Via Nova and Via Sacra. But I am unaware of any road that was ever called after the country it traversed - no Via Iberica, Via Germanica, Via Moesica. If roads have a geographic element in it (Via Labicana, Via Portuense), it invariably indicates a destination, not the country it traversed. Does anyone know a model on which "Via Belgica" can be based?

AFAIC, this maltreatment of the Latin language deserves to be punished by returning to "Chaussée Brunehaut", which at least does not procrustinate French.

[Epictetus]

I can play devil’s advocate for the sake of conversation.

The only thing that I could think of – and this would be a serious stretch :wink: – is the Via Salaria. This road was named after what it was used for, namely the salt trade. One could argue (quite weakly) that the Via Belgica was used by the Belgae and so was named for its use, just as the Via Salaria.

Edit: is the Via Aquitania a modern name as well? I am not finding it in any Roman sources.

[Q. Vipsanivs Praetextatvs]

Via Latina (Latium), Tusculum to Rome I think.

[Jona Lendering]

Via Latina (Latium), Tusculum to Rome I think.

Yes, I have been thinking about that one too; and so far, it seems to be the only possible exception. However, it probably meant that it was the road to Latium, because all other roads starting in Rome are named after their builders (Via Appia, Aurelia, Cassia, Flaminia, Severiana) or their destination (Via Ardeatina, Labicana, Laurentina, Nomentana, Ostiense, Portuense, Prenestina, Tiburtina) Plus the Via Salaria - which in any case is not the road through the salinae. Still, it is indeed possible that it is the road through Latium, although -if we would name this road after the country it traversed- it might as well have been called Via Lirica, because it is through the valley of the river Liris.

The road to Tusculum, BTW, was the Via Tusculana.

[MARCvSVIBIvSMAvRINvS]

Via Whateva ?



M.VIB.M.

[Maiorianus]

I can play devil’s advocate for the sake of conversation.

The only thing that I could think of – and this would be a serious stretch :wink: – is the Via Salaria. This road was named after what it was used for, namely the salt trade. One could argue (quite weakly) that the Via Belgica was used by the Belgae and so was named for its use, just as the Via Salaria.

Edit: is the Via Aquitania a modern name as well? I am not finding it in any Roman sources.

...which makes me think that the naming of roads in Latin based on their use or purpose was not unknown of in the Middle Ages. The example that comes to my mind is that of the "Via Francisca" or "Francigena", the itinerary followed by Frankish pilgrims to travel to Rome. The latin name is not of Roman origin, but is recorded as early as 9th Century AD. So, while not a proper Roman name, "via Belgica" would not be a complete outrage with reference to Medieval Latin

Gabriel

[M. Demetrius]

Though it means nearly nothing in this context, here in the US, roads are frequently named for the destination town. Around my place in Central Texas, many of the roads bear the name of the town they took you to, and probably weren't deliberately named, but people just said, "Take the road over there to Fredricksburg", then later, "The Fredricsburg Road" became the name, before we started numbering roads instead.

I can see how at least in the common man's conversation a road that went somewhere bore that name, whether official or not.

[jvrjenivs]

Hi Jona, if you want I have the recent (1 month ago) published book about this road (in German) wich tells us how they got their name.

Simply it is the following. They don't know the ancient name, they don't know exactly who/when it was build (but they've of course their predictions). It's the way from Cologne to Boulogne-sur-Mer. Most of it is in the province of Belgica, so they called it the via Belgica. It's a fouls-man choise based on the location of the road, it seems.


The book: Erlebnisraum Römerstrasse - Via belgica; Materialen zur Bodendenkmalpflege im Rheinland 18/2; Landschaftsverband Rheinland - ISBN 978-3-935522-01-4

[Jona Lendering]

It's a fouls-man choise based on the location of the road, it seems.

... and poor Latin, unfortunately.

And for those who have no idea what this road is: here is my article.