The Callaeci and the eponymic issue

a historiographical critique

Abstract

In the ancient history of Portugal and Galicia, a consensus establishes that the name of the common region Gallaecia was derived, in the early Roman domain, from an eponymous tribe which was settled on the right bank of the Douro’s mouth. This consensus can be labeled as eponymic question. Despite the fact that this question suffered a great deal of variety of interpretations, a 1977 article by A. Tranoy set up the current consensus about it. But since then, this consensus was limited to the uncritical acceptance of A. Tranoy’s theses, which have never been revisited. The present article re-examines the evidence of the eponymic question, proving its weakness, and supporting the need of broadening perspectives on the pretended eponymous people and the origins of the regional name of Gallaecia.