Brivates Portus

BRIVATES PORTUS

BRIVATES PORTUS (Βριουάτης λιμήν), a place in Gallia, is fixed by Ptolemy (Ptol. 2.8.1) between the mouth of the Loire and a river which he calls the Herius, supposed by D'Anville to be the Vilaine, and by others to be the Rivière d'Aurai. Accordingly, some geographers place this port at Brivain near Croisic, on the coast, in the department of Morbihan. The resemblance of the name Brivates to Brest, however, induces D'Anville to suppose that this large bay may be the Brivates of Ptolemy. Indeed, it is difficult to conceive that Ptolemy, with any tolerable materials at hand for the coast of Gallia, should not have found among them the position of Brest. Walckenaer makes the Gesocribate of the Table to be Brest. The Table gives a route from Juliomagus (Angers), through Nantes, Duretie, Dartoritum, Sulim, and Vorgiun, to Gesocribate. D'Anville supposes that Gesocribate ought to be Gesobrivate. The distance from Nantes to Gesocribate is 138 Gallic leagues or 207 M. P. There is no doubt that the harbour of Brest is the termination of this road, and as to the difficulty of reconciling all the distances, we cannot be surprised at this in a road along such a coast. Vorgium or Vorganium, the next station to Gesocribate, is placed by some geographers at Concarneau, on the present road between Hennebon and Quimper.

[G.L]