Vesubiani
The Vesubiani or Vesubianii were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the valley of the Vésubie river during the Iron Age.
Name
They are mentioned as Vesubiani by Pliny (1st c. AD),[1] and as Vesubianorum and (V)esubiani on inscriptions.[2][3]
Guy Barruol noted that the loss of initial V- is common in Gaulish proper names, especially in Provence, and proposed to see the name as a variant of the personal name Esubiani. He suggested that the name may have the same root as Esubii, the name of a tribe in Brittany itself traditionally derived from the Celtic god Esus.[4] Alternatively, if the V- was present in the original form, the name can be derived form the Gaulish root uesu- ('valid, good, worthy').[3]
Geography
The Vesubiani dwelled in the valley of the
Along with the Ecdinii and Veaminii, they were part of the Capillati.[7]
History
They are mentioned by Pliny the Elder as one of the Alpine tribes conquered by Rome in 16–15 BC, and whose name was engraved on the Tropaeum Alpium.[1] They also appear on the Arch of Susa, erected by Cottius in 9–8 BC.[8]
References
- ^ a b Pliny. Naturalis Historia, 3:20.
- ^ CIL 5:7231, 5:7817.
- ^ a b Falileyev 2010, s.v. Vesubiani.
- ^ a b Barruol 1969, p. 360.
- ^ Talbert 2000, Map 16: Col. Forum Iulii-Albingaunum.
- ^ Rivet 1988, p. 342.
- ^ Barruol 1969, p. 176.
- ^ Barruol 1969, p. 35.
Primary sources
- ISBN 978-0674993648.
Bibliography
- OCLC 3279201.
- Falileyev, Alexander (2010). Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-names: A Celtic Companion to the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. CMCS. ISBN 978-0955718236.
- ISBN 978-0-7134-5860-2.
- ISBN 978-0691031699.
