GREG WOOLF -- Ph.D. Cambridge University – Professor at St. Andrew University
   
Dear Jonathon,

Your idea is an interesting one and at the general level I find it very plausible, but you are right we have almost no useful evidence for iron age Europe.

There are some references in Caesar's Gallic Wars to this sort of factionalism, both in his general account of the Gauls and in his account of the rival factions of Dumnorix and his brother Diviciacus among the Aedui, for which there is a little numismatic support. Like most who work on the field I wouldn't consider these city-states, but they are polities and perhaps states and many of the same rules apply. On the issue of city states etc you could look at M.H.Hansen A comparative study of 30 city state cultures Copenhagen 2000 which has a good essay by Collis on iron age Europe.

On the general issue of the interplay of factional politics and inter-state conflict, the best thing I know is Liz Brumfiel'ds Factional Competition and Political Development in the New World Cambridge 1994

Hope some of this helps

Greg

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JOHN R. COLLIS – Ph.D. – Professor at Sheffield University

Dear Dr. Kolkey,

The most obvious source is inevitably Caesar who talks a bit about the decision making processes among some of the tribes such as the Treveri (tribe is not a good translation of ‘civitas’).  But the problem is that Caesar saw what was happening through Roman eyes, so he  does emphasize things like political factions, e.g. among the Aedui and the Arverni.  Also we are looking at one specific example, the reaction to an invading force, and internecine wars tend not to be mentioned, or at most, mentioned in passing.  Livy provides a bit of information, but not much....

Yours sincerely,

John Collis

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