Event Nouns in Action: Intercontinental Supply and Value Chains in a Frontier Town (Londinium) according to Caesar and Tacitus

Abstract

While London did not secure a prominent place in the history books early on, in fact one of the few early mentions calls it a titleless (cognomento coloniae non insigne) settlement (Tac. Ann. 14.33.1), the archaeological and epigraphic evidence paints the picture of a diverse frontier town full of commerce and hustle and bustle (commeatus) (Tac. Ann. 14.33.1). This may well explain Caesar’s worries about intercontinental supply and value chains (auxilia subministrare) (Caes. BGall. 4.20). This article offers a sociopragmatically grounded translation of Caesar’s support-verb construction auxilia subministrare and Tacitus’ re-etymologised event noun commeatus against this backdrop.