Casticus

Casticus was a chieftain of the Sequani, a Gallic tribe, in the 1st century BCE. He is primarily known from the writings of Julius Caesar in his Commentarii de Bello Gallico (The Gallic Wars).

According to Caesar, Casticus was a man of noble birth and considerable influence among the Sequani. In 60 BCE, Orgetorix, a Helvetian nobleman, attempted to form a conspiracy with Casticus and Dumnorix, a chieftain of the Aedui, to seize control of Gaul. Orgetorix's plan involved each of them seizing power within their own tribes and then uniting to rule the entirety of Gaul.

Caesar states that Orgetorix persuaded Casticus to attempt to seize power among the Sequani, promising him the backing and resources necessary to achieve this goal. However, the conspiracy was discovered, and Orgetorix died under suspicious circumstances, likely suicide, before Caesar could apprehend him. The roles of Casticus and Dumnorix in the affair after Orgetorix's death are less clear, and Caesar provides no further details regarding their fates.

Casticus is therefore significant as a figure involved in the complex political landscape of Gaul prior to Caesar's conquest and as an example of the internal rivalries and ambitions among Gallic tribes that Caesar exploited to his advantage.