The Parisii – the Celts behind the Name Paris

History & Finds The Parisii: From Lutetia to Paris

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The Parisii were a Celtic people on the middle Seine. Their capital Lutetia lay conveniently at a river crossing – probably around today's Île de la Cité.

Lutetia in the Gallic War

Caesar names Lutetia as the "town of the Parisii" on the Seine. In the great revolt of 52 BC the Parisii joined the Gauls; the Romans won nearby and afterwards made Lutetia a Roman town.

From tribe to city name

In Roman times Lutetia flourished; in late antiquity the tribal name prevailed – from civitas Parisiorum came Paris. Thus a small Celtic people lives on in the name of a world city, much like the Treveri in Trier.

"… to Lutetia, the town of the Parisii, which lies on an island of the river Sequana."after Caesar, The Gallic War VII (public domain, own translation)

What is documented: Lutetia as capital of the Parisii on the Seine (Caesar, The Gallic War VII), their part in the revolt of 52 BC, Roman Lutetia and the derivation of the name "Paris" from the tribal name of the Parisii.

What is interpretation: The exact site of Celtic Lutetia is not definitively secured – the equation with the Île de la Cité is likely but disputed (some finds point to Nanterre). About the Parisii themselves little is known beyond the name.

The Parisii show how Celtic peoples live on to this day on the map. Continue with the Carnutes and Senones.

Glanz & Gravur — From our workshop: Celtic-Germanic motifs on natural slate, laser-engraved. To the shop →

Sources & literature

Caesar, The Gallic War VI–VII; quote public domain (own translation).

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The Parisii: From Lutetia to Paris

Lutetia in the Gallic War

From tribe to city name

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