Bagaudae

/bæˈɡɔːdeɪ/ noun

Definition

A group of bandits or insurgents in Roman Gaul during the 3rd-5th centuries who rebelled against Roman authority.

Etymology

From Latin 'bagaudae,' possibly from Celtic origins. The term referred to roving bands of rebels during Rome's decline, particularly in the late imperial period.

Kelly Says

The Bagaudae represent early class rebellion—Roman historians dismissed them as 'bandits,' but modern scholars see them as poor farmers and slaves resisting exploitation, making them revolutionary heroes from the Roman perspective's enemies.

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