Helvetii

hel-ve'shi-l the ancient Celtic inhabitants of Switzerland. Students of Caesar's Commentaries are familiar with his account of the Helvetians, who attempted to leave their home at Lake Geneva to occupy more fertile parts of adjacent Gaul (France). Caesar met them west of Geneva (58 B. C.), punished them severely, and sent them home again. Twenty years later they were practically exterminated by the Romans. Helvetia is still the classical name of Switzerland.