SE´NONES
Eth.
SE´NONES (
Σένονες,
Σέννονες,
Steph. B. sub voce. Polybius (
2.17) names the Italian Senones,
Σήνωνες. The Roman poets make the penultima short:-- “
Ut Braccatorum pueri Senonumque minores.” (
Juv. 8.234.)
An absurd explanation of the name is quoted by Festus (
s. v. Senones) and by Servius (
Serv. ad Aen. 8.656).
The Senones were one of the great Celtic nations who bordered on the Belgae. (
Caes. Gal. 2.2.) They were north-west of the Aedui and bordered on them. Their capital was Agedincum (
Sens), on the right bank of the
Yonne, which is a branch of the
Seine. (
Ptol. 2.8.12.) The Senones are in the Lugdunensis of Ptolemy and Pliny. Besides Agedincum there were in the country of the Senones, Autissiodurum (
Auxerre) and Melodunum (
Melun) on the
Seine not far from Paris, which shows that their territory extended from the neighbourhood of
Paris along the
Seine and along the
Yonne to the borders of the small nation of the Mandubii [MANDUBII], whose town was Alesia, and to the borders of the Lingones.
The railroad from
Paris to
Dijon, which passes near
Melun, Fontainebleau, Sens, Joigny, St. Florentin, Tonnerre on the
Armançon, a branch of the
Yonne, runs through the country of the Senones. Between
St. Florentin and
Flogny, which is about half-way between
St. Florentin and
Tonnerre, extends a vast plain, level as the sea, fertile, and in summer covered with wheat.
A large part of the territory of the Senones is a fertile country.
In seems to have comprehended the dioceses of
Sens and
Auxerre. Besides Melodunum and Agedincum, Caesar mentions Vellaunodunum as a town of the Senones (7.11), on the side towards the Carnutes.
The Senones were at first well disposed to Caesar (
Caes. Gal. 2.2), probably through fear of their neighbours, the Belgae and the German people north of the
Marne. Caesar had given them Cavarinus for a king, but the Senones expelled him (5.54); and when the Roman proconsul ordered the senate of the Senones to come to him, they refused.
In the spring of B.C. 53 Caesar summoned the states of Gallia to a meeting, but the Senones, Carnutes, and Treviri would not come (6.3), upon which he transferred the meeting of the states to Lutetia Parisiorum.
He says that the Parisii bordered on the Senones, and “within the memory of their fathers they had united their state with that of the Senones;” but he does not explain the nature of this union.
He marched from Lutetia (
Paris) into the country of the Senones, which presents no difficulties for an army. The Senones yielded in spite of Acco, who was the leader in the revolt; and Caesar took with him Cavarinus and the cavalry of the Senones, in which force it is probable that they were strong, as their country is well adapted for grazing and corn.
At the close of the year Caesar whipped Acco to death, and quartered six of his legions at
Sens for the winter (6.44). In B.C. 52 the Senones sent 12,000 men with the rest of the Gallic forces to attack Caesar before Alesia (7.75). The Senones seem to have given. Caesar no more trouble; but in B.C. 51 Drappes, a Senon, at the head of a number of desperate men, was threatening the Provincia. Drappes was caught and starved himself to death. (
B. G. 8.30, 44.)
[
G.L]
