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{{Short description|Deity of Mars worshipped in Helvetia}}
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'''Caturix''' ([[Gaulish]] for "battle king") was the [[war god]] of the [[Helvetii]].

==Names==
Caturix became known as ''Mars Caturix'' in [[Gallo-Roman religion]] by [[interpretatio romana|interpretation]] as [[Mars (mythology)|Mars]]. There was a temple dedicated to Mars Caturix  in [[Aventicum]], the capital of [[Roman Switzerland|Roman ''Helvetia'']], another one in Nonfoux, [[Essertines-sur-Yverdon]]. 

Other names (epitheta) of Caturix may have been ''[[Cicollus]]'' and ''Caisivus''. ''Caturix'' has itself been interpreted as originating as an epithet of [[Toutatis]].

==Etymology==
The Gaulish name ''catu-rix'' means 'battle-king' or 'battle-lord', stemming from [[Gaulish language|Gaulish]] root ''catu''- ('combat, battle') attached to ''rix'' ('king').{{sfn|Lambert|1994|p=36}}{{sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=111}} The root ''catu-'' is [[cognate]] to similar words in [[Celtic languages]], including [[Old Irish]] ''cath'' ('battle, troop') and [[Old Welsh]] ''cad'' ('battle'),<ref>Pronk, Tijmen. "Proto-Indo-European *a". In: ''Indo-European Linguistics'' 7, 1 (2019): 127. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1163/22125892-00701002</ref> and is attested in other Celtic personal names such as ''[[Catigern]]''.<ref>Mallory, James. (2006). "Indo-European Warfare". In: ''Journal of Conflict Archaeology'' 2: 89. 10.1163/157407706778942312.</ref><ref>Russell, Paul. "Old Welsh ''Dinacat'', ''Cunedag'', ''Tutagual'': Fossilized Phonology in Brittonic Personal Names". In: ''Indo-European Perspectives: Studies in Honour of Anna Morpugo Davies''. Edited by J. H. W. Penney. Oxford University Press. 2004. pp. 447-460. {{ISBN|0-19-925892-9}}</ref>

The Gallic tribe of the [[Caturiges]] ('battle-kings'), settling in the area of modern [[Chorges]] (from Latin: ''Caturigumagus'') was apparently named after the god. The capital of the Caturiges was called ''Eburodunum'' (modern [[Embrun, Hautes-Alpes|Embrun]]), i.e. the same name as that of [[Yverdon-les-Bains|Yverdon]], suggesting a close relationship between the ''Caturiges'' and the ''Helvetii''.

==Inscriptions==
Five dedicatory inscriptions to Caturix were found in the area settled by the Helvetii, all of them close to [[Avenches]] (Aventicum) and [[Yverdon-les-Bains|Yverdon]] (Eburodunum). A sixth inscription has been found in isolation in  Böckingen, [[Heilbronn]], Germany.

*[[Riaz]] : HM 181 {{CIL|13|5035|R=}}:    ...]ATVRIG[...
*Nonfoux : HM 164 {{CIL|13|5046|R=}}: MARTI CATVRIGI ... TEMPLVM A NOVO IN[ST]ITVIT
*[[Pomy VD|Pomy]]:  HM 165: {{CIL|13|5054|R=}}: MARTI CATVR SACR ...
*Yverdon: HM 172  {{CIL|13|11473|R=}}: MARTI CATVRICI ET APOLLINI ...
*Avenches: HM 222:  MARTI CATVR ...
*Avenches:  HM221 {{CIL|13|11475|R=}}:  MART CAISIV ...
*Böckingen: {{CIL|13|6474|R=}}: IOM ET MARTI CATVRIGI GENIO LOCI ...

==References ==
{{reflist}}

==Bibliography==
* Gerold Walser: ''[https://books.google.com/books?id=YyFM4LeOaSgC&dq=Caturix&pg=PA70 Römische Inschriftkunst]'', Franz Steiner Verlag, 1993, S. 70, {{ISBN|9783515060653}} 
* Bernhard Maier: ''Lexikon der keltischen Religion und Kultur''; Kröner, Stuttgart (1994). {{ISBN|3-520-46601-5}}
* Ernst Howald, Ernst Meier: ''Die römische Schweiz''; Zürich (1940).
* {{Cite book|last=Delamarre|first=Xavier|title=Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental|date=2003|publisher=Errance|isbn=9782877723695|author-link=Xavier Delamarre}}
*{{Cite book|last=Lambert|first=Pierre-Yves|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TjMcAQAAIAAJ|title=La langue gauloise: description linguistique, commentaire d'inscriptions choisies|date=1994|publisher=Errance|isbn=978-2-87772-089-2|author-link=Pierre-Yves Lambert}}

[[Category:Gaulish gods]]
[[Category:War gods]]
[[Category:Helvetii]]