The Bodiontici or Brodiontii were a Gallic tribe dwelling around present-day

Digne Digne-les-Bains (; Occitan: ''Dinha dei Banhs''), or simply and historically Digne (''Dinha'' in the classical norm or ''Digno'' in the Mistralian norm), is the prefecture of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in the Provence-Alpes-Cô ...

(

Alpes-de-Haute-Provence Alpes-de-Haute-Provence or sometimes abbreviated as AHP (; oc, Aups d'Auta Provença; ) is a department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region of France, bordering Alpes-Maritimes and Italy to the east, Var to the south, Vaucluse to the west ...

) during the

Roman period The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings aro ...

Name

They are mentioned as ''Bodionticos'' by

Pliny Pliny may refer to: People * Pliny the Elder (23–79 CE), ancient Roman nobleman, scientist, historian, and author of ''Naturalis Historia'' (''Pliny's Natural History'') * Pliny the Younger (died 113), ancient Roman statesman, orator, w ...

(1st c. AD).

. ''Naturalis Historia'', 3:37. Possible variants are also attested as ''Brodionti(i)'', ''Bodionio'' and ''Bodi(ontio?)'' on inscriptions., s.v. ''Bodiontici''. The ethnic name ''Bodiontici'' appears to derive from the

Gaulish Gaulish was an ancient Celtic languages, Celtic language spoken in parts of Continental Europe before and during the period of the Roman Empire. In the narrow sense, Gaulish was the language of the Celts of Gaul (now France, Luxembourg, Belgium ...

stem ''bodio-'' ('blond') attached to -''ont-ici''.

Geography

The Bodiontici dwelled around present-day

, in the valley of the

Bléone The Bléone (; oc, Blèuna) is a long river in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ''département'', southeastern France. Its drainage basin is .Sentii The Sentii (Gaulish: ''Sentioi'') were a small Gallic tribe dwelling around present-day Senez, in southeastern France, during the Roman era. Name They are mentioned as Σέντιοι (var. Σένποι) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD)., s.v. ''Sentii' ...

, south of the

Gallitae The Gallitae were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the upper valley of the Bléone river ( Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Gallitae'' (var. -''tre'') by Pliny (1st c. AD) and on an inscription.Pliny. ''Natu ...

, east of the

Sogiontii The Sogionti or Sogiontii were a Gauls, Gallic tribe dwelling around present-day Sisteron during the La Tène culture, Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Sogionti'' (var. ''songi''-, ''sonti''-) by Pliny the Elder, Pliny (1st c. AD),Pliny t ...

, and west of the

Eguiturii The Eguiturii or Eguituri were a Celto-Ligurian tribe dwelling in the Alpes Maritimae during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Eguituri'' by Pliny (1st c. AD).Pliny. ''Naturalis Historia''3:20 The meaning of the ethnonym ''Eguituri(i) ...

and

Nemeturii The Nemeturii (Gaulish *''Nemeturioi'', 'the inhabitants of nemetons') or Nemeturi were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the Alpes Maritimae during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Nemeturicae'' by Columella (1st c. AD), and as ''Nemoturi ...

.. Map 16: Col. Forum Iulii-Albingaunum. In Roman times, their

civitas In Ancient Rome, the Latin term (; plural ), according to Cicero in the time of the late Roman Republic, was the social body of the , or citizens, united by law (). It is the law that binds them together, giving them responsibilities () on th ...

was situated around the basin of the river

Bléone The Bléone (; oc, Blèuna) is a long river in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence ''département'', southeastern France. Its drainage basin is .Avantici The Avantici (Gaulish: *''Auanticoi'') were a small Gallic tribe dwelling around present-day Gap, in the western part of the modern Hautes-Alpes department, during the Roman period. Name They are only mentioned once as ''Avanticos'' (var. '' ...

, to the province of

Gallia Narbonensis Gallia Narbonensis (Latin for "Gaul of Narbonne", from its chief settlement) was a Roman province located in what is now Languedoc and Provence, in Southern France. It was also known as Provincia Nostra ("Our Province"), because it was the ...

Galba Galba (; born Servius Sulpicius Galba; 24 December 3 BC – 15 January AD 69) was the sixth Roman emperor, ruling from AD 68 to 69. After his adoption by his stepmother, and before becoming emperor, he was known as Livius Ocella Sulpicius Ga ...

. According to

A. L. F. Rivet Albert Lionel Frederick Rivet, (30 November 1915 – 6 September 1993) was a British archaeologist and cartographer. Biography Albert Lionel "Leo" Frederick Rivet was born on 30 November 1915 in Streatham, London, the only son of Albert Robe ...

, this decision "may have been due to the influence of the former provincial governor, T. Vinius Rufus, who effectively controlled Galba and joined him in the consulship in 69." Their chief town was known as Dinia (present-day Digne;

''Dīniā'' 'the shelter'). Like the modern settlement, it likely served as a

spa town A spa town is a resort town based on a mineral spa (a developed mineral spring). Patrons visit spas to "take the waters" for their purported health benefits. Thomas Guidott set up a medical practice in the English town of Bath in 1668. H ...

in ancient times. Dinia was transferred to the province of

Alpes Maritimae The Alpes Maritimae (; English: 'Maritime Alps') were a small Roman province, province of the Roman Empire founded in 63 AD by Nero. It was one of the three provinces straddling the Alps between modern France and Italy, along with the Alpes Graia ...

in the Later Empire.

References

Primary sources

Bibliography

* * * * * {{Authority control Historical Celtic peoples Gauls Tribes of pre-Roman Gaul