1. Biography-political activity

The Gaul ruler Brogitarus or Bogodiatarus was the tetrarch of the tribe of the Trocmii. His Celtic name comes from the words brogi, i.e. “land” and taros, “bull” therefore it means “the bull of the land”. An alteration of his name is probably the name “Brigatus”.¹ Brogitarus was born approximately during the last quarter of the 2nd century B.C. and he was the son of Deiotaros. Since his father had the same name with the ruler of the Tolistobogii Deiotaros I, it is inferred that the royal houses of the two Gaul tribes of the Trocmii and the Tolistobogii had a common ancestor in the distant past. The relations between the two families became closer with the forging of an alliance, which was confirmed by the marriage of Brogitarus with Adobogiona, daughter of Deiotaros I. His son might have been the tetrarch Amyntas Brigatos, if we accept that the name “Brigatus” is another version of “Brogitarus”. In this case Brogitarus was the ancestor of G. Julius Severus, the most important Gaul noble of the 2nd century A.D. Brogitarus’ sister, who was also named Adobogiona, married to a wealthy citizen of Pergamon, Menodotos. Brogitarus’ nephew from this marriage, Mithridates Pergamenos, succeeded Brogitarus as the leader of the tribe of the Trocmii, whereas Brogitarus’ widow is probably identified with the wife of Castor II, later ruler of the tribe of the Tectosagi.²

The first historical reference to Brogitarus is dated to the period 107-90/89 B.C., most probably in the year 100 B.C., when he had already obtained the office of the tetrarch. He was obviously one of the four tetrarchs who escaped the massacre of the Gaul aristocracy organized by Mithridates VI Eupator in 86 B.C. In the following years his activity is closely connected to the politics of Rome in Asia Minor. The Gaul placed himself in the side of Rome during the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Mitrhidatic war and after their end he was rewarded for his services.³ Thus, during the reorganization of Asia Minor by Pompeius in 63 B.C. his rights as a ruler of the tribe of the Trocmii were recognized. Furthermore, part of the kingdom of Mithridates VI was ceded to him, including the fort of Mithridation, which was most probably an expansion of his dominion towards the east.⁴ Meanwhile in 58 B.C. Brogitarus was named king according to a decree of the Roman Plebeian Assembly, after the suggestion by thetribuneof Rome Puplius Claudius Pulcher, an act which ignored the official procedures, according to which it was a duty of Roman senate to cede any royal title to anyone. The royal title along with the nickname “Philoromaios” (friend of the Romans) is mentioned on the coins he minted, in contrast to the epigraphic sources in which the Gaul only bears the title of the tetrarch.⁵

The decision for naming him a king seems to have included a term according to which Brogitarus acquired the right to choose the highest priest of Pessinus, and it is also possible that he himself took this sacerdotal office. This privilege resulted in giving him the control of this exceptionally lucrative sanctuary, a title which until then apparently belonged to the family of the ruler of the Tolistobogii Deiotaros I. From the actions of Claudius in favour of Brogitarus it is inferred that the Gaul ruler belonged to his clientele (clientela). Meanwhile, however, the motives of Claudius seem to have also been connected to a certain financial exchange; there was also the rumour that the Gaul had financed the building of the temple of Castor in Rome. In 55 B.C. Claudius probably asked the senate to lead an embassy to Brogitarus, maybe to collect the money the Gaul had promised him. His petition was probably rejected. Eventually the agreement with Brogitarus was never fulfilled, since their plan concerning Pessinus failed. By 56 B.C. Deiotaros had managed to regain control over the sanctuary.⁶ Brogitarus died sometime in the years 53-51 B.C. The acquisition of his tetrarchy by Deiotaros I and the time of his death can not exclude the possibility that he was a victim of the expansionist tendency of Deiotaros I. In the eve of the 2nd Civil war (49-45 B.C.) Rome must have been occupied with the inner problems of the state and a criminal action of Deiotaros I could easily have remained unpunished. Furthermore, if Brogitarus was still alive in 52 B.C., he would have remained with no powerful protector in Rome, due to the death of Claudius in the same year. After his death leadership in Galatia was temporarily gathered in the hands of two rulers, Deiotaros I and Castor I Tarcondarius, tetrarch of the Tectosagii.⁷

2. Evaluation

The relations between Brogitarus and Rome presuppose the existence of common political references, which are located in the elements of his hellenization. Brogitarus started his contacts with the Greek cities of Asia Minor in a young age, during the period of 107-90/89 B.C., most probably in the year 100 B.C., with the offering, along with his sister Adobigiona, of two phiale to Apollo at Didyma. His sister is probably the person honoured in an inscription found in Lesbos, which most probably comes from a city of Aeolis. His wife Adobogiona also received honours in Pergamon. Finally, Brogitarus used the Greek language as well as Greek numismatic types in the coins he minted.⁸

Although he had no Greek origin, he and his family wanted to be portrayed as Hellenistic rulers. Meanwhile, thanks to his relations with the Roman political leadership, he extended his territorial dominion and became one of the three tetrarchs and one of the two kings of the Gauls in the first half of the 1st century B.C.