Liger
The Loire River, known as the longest river in France, stretches approximately 634 miles from its source in the Cevennes Mountains to its mouth in the Bay of Biscay. Historically significant, it flows through various regions that were once inhabited by ancient tribes such as the Carnutes and the Turones. Key cities along the river include Nevers, Orléans, Tours, Angers, and Nantes, each contributing to the river's rich cultural and historical tapestry. During the early Roman era, the Loire was incorporated into the province of Gallia Lugdunensis and later played a role in delineating various provincial borders in the Roman Empire. Notably, an inscription found in Nantes refers to the river's sailors, highlighting the river's importance for trade and transportation. The Loire River not only serves as a vital waterway but also enriches the surrounding regions with its ecological and cultural significance.
Subject Terms
Liger
(Loire)
The longest river in Gaul (France), rising in the Cevenna (Cevennes) Mountains not far west of Lugdunum (Lyon) and extending for six hundred and thirty-four miles to its estuary in the Bay of Biscay. The tribes of the Carnutes (reduced by Julius Caesar in 53 BC) and Turones bestrode its middle reaches. The cities along its course included Nevirnum (Nevers), Cenabum or Civitas Aurelianorum (Orléans), Caesarodunum (Tours), Juliomagus (Angers) and Condevicnum (Nantes, where an inscription refers to river sailors, nautae Ligerici). In the early Roman Principate the Liger came within the province of Gallia Lugdunensis, and in the later empire it flowed successively through Lugdunensis Prima, Lugdunensis Senonia and Lugdunensis Tertia, eventually forming the boundary between the last-named province and Aquitania Secunda.