Tongerens’ most famous (or should that be notorious?) inhabitant also occupies the most prominent place in the city. The imposing bronze statue of Ambiorix, King of the Eburones, dating from 1866 is a tribute to his memorable victory over the Romans in 54 BCE. It prompted Julius Caesar to call the Belgians the bravest of all the Gauls. Ambiorix is posing in Germanic attire and a dragon helmet, his hatchet as his weapon of choice. His feet are trampling the weapons of the defeated Roman foe. The fence around the statue is made of spears, wild boar heads and arrows, entirely in line with Celtic tradition.
