TheSenones orSenonii (Gaulish: "the ancient ones") were an ancientGallic tribe dwelling in theSeine basin, around present-daySens, during theIron Age and theRoman period.
Part of the Senones settled in theItalian peninsula, where they ousted theUmbrians betweenAriminum (modern-day Rimini) andAncona. According to later Roman accounts, they were the leaders of the Gallic war-band that capturedRome during theBattle of the Allia in 390 BC. They remained a constant threat until Rome eventually subjugated them in 283 BC, after which they disappeared from history.[1]
They are mentioned asSḗnōnes (Σήνωνες) andSḗnōnas (Σήνωνας) byPolybius (2nd c. BC),[2]Senonii byCaesar (mid-1st c. BC),[3]Sénnōnes (Σέννωνες) byDiodorus Siculus (1st c. BC),[4]Sénōnes (Σένωνες) byStrabo (early 1st c. AD),[5]Senones byPliny (1st c. AD),[6]Sénones (Σένονες) byPtolemy (2nd c. AD),[7] and asSenones byAmmianus (4th c. AD).[8][9]
TheGaulishethnonymSenones is generally interpreted as meaning 'the ancient ones', by deriving the name from theProto-Celtic root*sen- ('old'; cf.Old Irishsen;Middle Welshhen 'old') extended by the suffix -on-es.[10][11]Pierre-Yves Lambert has also proposed an etymology from the root *sen(H)-, meaning 'to gain, vanquish'.[12] In ancient times,Servius compared the name to the Greek ξενός ('guest-friend, host, stranger').[13]
The city ofSens, attested in the 4th century AD asSenonas oppidum ('oppidum of the Senones'), is named after the Gallic tribe.[14][15]
The Senones of Gauls dwelled around their capitalAgedincum (present-daySens), whichCaesar referred to as anurbs in mid-first century BC, a term suggesting a genuine city rather than a mere settlement. Over the first centuries AD, the city's name remained in use, and inscriptions attest to its role as the civic capital. By the later 4th century, however, the name had shifted toSenonas (the origin of the modern nameSens). Under the administrative reforms of the late Roman Empire, Sens became the capital of the new province calledLugdunensis Quarta orLugdunensis Senonia.[15]
Their territory, whose exact boundaries have been much discussed, broadly corresponded to the ancient regions of Sénonais,Gâtinais, Melunois, Stampois, southernBrie, and Provinois. It encompassed the lower course of theYonne River and a large segment of theSeine between modern-dayNogent andMelun. Over time, parts of this territory separated to form new cities, notably that of theTricasses, in the area of modernTroyes.[15]
In Gaul, the Senones formed an independent Gallic people at the eve of the Roman period. According toCaesar, they were ruled by the kings Moritasgus in 58 BC, then Cavarinus from 58 to 53 BC, and briefly Accon in 53 BC. They also possessed a senate.[15]
According to a legend recounted byLivy, they joinedBellovesus's migrations towards Italy ca. 600 BC, together with the Aeduii, Ambarri, Arverni, Aulerci, and Carnutes.[16][1] According to scholarsEdward Togo Salmon andTimothy W. Potter, this account "is to be resisted on archaeological grounds".[1]
In 400 BC, they crossed the Alps and invaded Italy as far as Rome which they plundered. They retreated and, driving out theUmbrians, settled on the east coast ofItaly. Their territory spanned fromForlì toAncona andTerni, inPicenum or what was later theAger Gallicus. They founded the town atSenigallia, which became their capital[citation needed] and occupied northernPicenum. In 391 BC, under the chieftainBrennus, they invadedEtruria and besiegedClusium. The Clusines appealed toRome for aid. The Romans provided support, which constituted a violation of the law of nations. The ensuing war resulted in the defeat of the Romans at theBattle of the Allia (390 BC) and the sacking of Rome.[17][obsolete source]
For more than 100 years the Senones were engaged inRoman-Gallic wars, until in 284 BC the Gauls besiegedArretium, the Etruscan town that had agreed a truce for 40 years with the Romans in 294 BC. The Romans went to the assistance of the town and were beaten in a battle under its walls. Rome sent ambassadors to the Gauls but they killed them. The praetor Caecilius was sent with an army to avenge their murder but he was killed by the Etruscans and Gauls, together with 7 military and many nobles.[18][19][non-primary source needed] FinallyP. Cornelius Dolabella drove them out of their territory in 283 BC.[20][non-primary source needed] Nothing more was heard of them in Italy.
It is possible that they joined with Gallic tribes who spread themselves throughout the lands of the Danube, Macedonia, and Asia Minor. Sena Gallica (currentlySenigallia) was made a Roman colony, named to distinguish it from Sena Julia (Siena) in Etruria.[17][obsolete source]
A branch of the Senones (or a different tribe of the same name) settling the district which now includes the departments ofSeine-et-Marne,Loiret andYonne from 53–51 BC were engaged in hostilities withJulius Caesar brought about by their expulsion ofCavarinus, whom he had appointed their king. In 51 BC, a Senonian namedDrappes threatened the Provincia, but was captured and starved himself to death. From this time the Gallic Senones disappear from history. In later times, they were included inGallia Lugdunensis. Their chief towns wereAgedincum (later Senones, whenceSens),Metiosedum [fr] (Melun; according to A. Holder,Meudon), andVellaunodunum (site uncertain).[17][obsolete source]
One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in thepublic domain: Chisholm, Hugh, ed. (1911). "Senones".Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 24 (11th ed.). Cambridge University Press. pp. 647–648.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)