The Bituriges Vivisci (Gaulish: Biturëges Uiuisci) were a Gallic tribe dwelling near modern-day Bordeaux during the Roman period. They had a homonym tribe, the Bituriges Cubi in the Berry region, which could indicate a common origin, although there is no direct of evidence of this.
They are mentioned as BitourÃÂgà Ân te tà ÂÃÂn OuÃÂiouÃÂskà Ân (ÃÂùÃÂÿàÃÂïóÃÂý ÃÂõ ÃÂῶý ÃÂá½ÂùÿàïÃÂúÃÂý) by Strabo (early 1st c. AD), Bituriges liberi cognomine Vivisci by Pliny (1st c. AD), and as Bitoúrges oiàOuÃÂibÃÂskoi (ÃÂùÃÂÿÃÂÃÂóõàÿἱ ÃÂá½ÂùòïÃÂúÿù) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD).
The Gaulish ethnonym Biturëges means 'kings of the world', or possibly 'perpetual kings'. It derives from the stem bitu- ('world', perhaps also 'perpetual'; cf. OIr. bith 'world, life, age', bith- 'eternally', Old Welsh bid, OBret. bit 'world') attached to riges ('kings'; <small>sing.</small> rix). Whether the meaning 'perpetual' was already associated with bitu- in ancient Celtic languages or appeared later in Old Irish remains uncertain. In any case, the meaning 'world' probably emerged from the notion of 'living world, place of the livings', since the Proto-Celtic stem *bitu- derives from Proto-Indo-European *g÷iH-tu-, meaning 'life' (cf. Lat. vëta 'life', OCS à ¾iti 'to live').
The Bituriges Vivisci dwelled in the modern region, between the Garonne (Garumna) river and the Atlantic ocean. Their territory was located west of the Petrocorii, south of the Santones, northwest of the Nitiobroges and Cadurci, and east of the smaller Medulli.
Their port (emporium) and chief town was Burdigala (Bordeaux).
Writing in the early 1st century AD, Strabo describes them as the only Gallic tribe dwelling among the Aquitani, which suggests a relatively late coming to the region. They may have settled in their attested homeland in the aftermath of the Gallic Wars (58âÂÂ50 BC), for their presence is not mentioned by Caesar.