Editing Helvetii (section)

=== The rising of 68/69 AD ===
What seems to have been the last action of the Helvetii as a tribal entity happened shortly after the death of emperor [[Nero]] in 68 AD. Like the other Gallic tribes, the Helvetii were organised as a ''[[civitas]]''; they even retained their traditional grouping into four ''[[pagus|pagi]]''<ref>CIL 13,5076 names the [[Tigurini]] as one of these ''pagi''.</ref> and enjoyed a certain inner autonomy, including the defence of certain strongholds by their own troops. In [[Year of the Four Emperors|the civil war]] which followed Nero's death, the ''civitas Helvetiorum'' supported [[Galba]]; unaware of his death, they refused to accept the authority of his rival, [[Vitellius]]. The [[Legio XXI Rapax]], stationed in [[Vindonissa]] and favouring Vitellius, stole the pay of a Helvetian garrison, which prompted the Helvetians to intercept Vitellian messengers and detain a Roman detachment. [[Aulus Caecina Alienus]], a former supporter of Galba who was now at the head of a Vitellian invasion of Italy, launched a massive punitive campaign, crushing the Helvetii under their commander [[Claudius Severus]] and routing the remnants of their forces at [[Bözberg pass|Mount Vocetius]], killing and enslaving thousands. The capital [[Aventicum]] surrendered, and [[Julius Alpinus]], head of what was now seen as a Helvetian uprising, was executed. In spite of the extensive damage and devastations the ''civitas'' had already sustained, according to [[Tacitus]] the Helvetii were saved from total annihilation owing to the pleas of one Claudius Cossus, a Helvetian envoy to Vitellius, and, as Tacitus puts it, "of well-known eloquence".<ref>Tacitus Hist. 1.67-69.</ref>