Talk:Bellovaci

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This is personal preference, but I'd like to see in-text citations. It is much easier to verify facts or get more information if the statements of interests are directly linked to the sources from which they come.

This is especially true for statements that are in some ways opinions. This would include, for example, (from the opening paragraph) the phrases "The Bellovaci were the most powerful and numerous of the Belgic tribes" and "They were considered the bravest of the tribes.". For phrases such as the latter, it would be nice to know who considered them to be the bravest of the tribes. From the verb tense, I assume you mean that the ancient romans (i.e., Caesar et al) but you could also be refering to a modern historian's view point.

In the geography section the subject of this first sentence is the city Beauvais. The transition into the second sentence, in which the subject is pronoun referring to the Bellovaci and not the city Beauvais, is in my opinion awkward.

Without including original research, can you give a reason as to why the name "empty war" was given to this tribe. It not, it's not a problem.

I'm not sure that the general warfare section is necessary. While it is a key point, it integrates fairly well with the following section.

Was Caesar the first (and only?) general to fight the Bellovaci??

DavidBild 01:49, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

The article was primarily focused on Caesar's conquest of Gaul, so much so that I didn't feel like I got a comprehensive presentation about the Bellovaci people. The geographical information was interesting, as well as the derivative of their name, but I would have liked more information about the tribe's history aside from that specific war. Were there other interactions with the Romans? They are known for their guerrilla warfare, but what tactics did they use that were successful against the Romans? Was there anything unique about their culture and traditions, or their relationship with the other tribes in the area? Was there a specific reason that Caesar was worried about their expansion into the Compiegne Forest? There very might well just be a lack of information existing about this tribe, but more detailed information would have been helpful.

Stephanie Sutter 12:22am, 15 May 2007

I also found the etymology of the name of the Bellovaci to be a nice touch. If you can find/theorize why such a name was given to the tribe (rather than a name purely based on geographical location such as the Aquitani or Belgae) that would be great. The map is also a nice touch. As far as the warfare section goes, you might want to add a sentence or two how most of our direct information regarding the Bellovaci people comes from Caesar and could very well be biased.

Jonathan Simrin 12:30 am, 15 May 2007

This article gives a very good account of the Bellovaci encounter with the Romans in Gaul. The use of subheadings makes the article easy to follow. It might be a little clearer if a timeframe was given for the battles. How long did the campaign last? Perhaps, including additional details concerning the fate of the Bellovaci after their defeat would be good (if they are available). Asaunders906 16:21, 15 May 2007 (UTC) Alexandra Saunders

You have some very good information here about the Bellovaci and Caesar; I too would have been curious to see more on their earlier or later history. I suspect the name is Celtic in origin rather than Latin, vacus is a Celtic root for cow, and Bellona-cowherds tribe seems quite plausible, more so than "empty war." Your theory was very interesting, however, although this may not be the appropriate place for it. Anisekstrong 00:53, 4 June 2007 (UTC)Anise K. Strong

[edit] Caution when assessing work

When evaluating contributions to an article, make sure to check the "history" tab (see Help:Page history for more info). Other editors will often modify the article while someone is working on it, or the article may contain earlier contributions. For example, this particular article has existed as a stub for a while. Thanks, nadav 07:05, 15 May 2007 (UTC)

Don't worry - we explicitly evaluate only the changes the student has made, through an examination of the history. Anisekstrong 00:53, 4 June 2007 (UTC)anisekstrong