The Pictones – Shipbuilders of the Atlantic Coast

History & Finds The Pictones: Shipyards for Caesar's Fleet

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The Pictones were a Celtic people on the Gaulish Atlantic coast, around today's Poitiers. Their land is still known as Poitou.

Ships for Rome

The Pictones were experienced shipbuilders. For Caesar's campaigns on the Atlantic coast – for instance against the sea-powerful Veneti – they supplied ships and mostly held to Rome.

Revolt and Roman flourishing

They did not always stay quiet: after the conquest parts rose under the leader Dumnacus, but were put down. Under Rome Limonum (Poitiers) became an important city.

"The Pictones and Santones … provided ships for the war on the coast."freely after Caesar/Hirtius, The Gallic War (public domain, own translation)

What is documented: Pictones as ship suppliers for Rome, their broad alliance with Caesar, the revolt under Dumnacus and Limonum/Poitiers as a Roman city (Caesar/Hirtius, The Gallic War).

What is interpretation: The scale of their ship supply is inferred from brief passages. The name "Pictones" has, despite the echo, nothing to do with the Scottish Picts – a mere similarity of names.

The Pictones belong to the Celtic Atlantic world. Continue with the Veneti and Santones.

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

Sources & literature

Caesar/Hirtius, The Gallic War III, VIII; quote public domain (own translation).

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The Pictones: Shipyards for Caesar's Fleet

Ships for Rome

Revolt and Roman flourishing

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Sources & literature

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