The Segovii (

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 ...

: *''Segouioi'', 'the victorious, powerful') were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the

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

, around present-day

Cesana Torinese Cesana Torinese (French ''Césanne'') is a ''comune'' (municipality) in the Metropolitan City of Turin in the Italian region Piedmont, located about west of Turin, on the border with France. Cesana is a popular winter ski resort, being connected ...

and

Montgenèvre Montgenèvre (; oc, Montginebre; Italian: ''Monginevro'') is a commune on the Italian border in the Hautes-Alpes department in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in Southeastern France. In 2018, it had a population of 456. Geography Montgen ...

, during the

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

Name

They are attested as ''Segoviorum'' on the Arch of Susa., s.v. ''Segovii''. The

ethnonym An ethnonym () is a name applied to a given ethnic group. Ethnonyms can be divided into two categories: exonyms (whose name of the ethnic group has been created by another group of people) and autonyms, or endonyms (whose name is created and used ...

''Segovii'' is a latinized form of

*''Segouioi''. It derives from the root ''sego''-, meaning 'victory, force'. It is comparable with the feminine forms ''Segouia'' (

Segovia Segovia ( , , ) is a city in the autonomous community of Castile and León, Spain. It is the capital and most populated municipality of the Province of Segovia. Segovia is in the Inner Plateau (''Meseta central''), near the northern slopes of th ...

) and ''Segauias'' (now

Göfis Göfis is a municipality in the district of Feldkirch in the Austrian state of Vorarlberg Vorarlberg ( , ; gsw, label= Vorarlbergisch, Vorarlbearg, , or ) is the westernmost state () of Austria. It has the second-smallest geographical area a ...

Geography

The Segovii dwelled around the towns of Gaesao/Tyrium (modern

) and Druantium (

; also named *''Alpis Cottia'' and ''Summae Alpes''). Their territory was located south of the

Belaci The Belaci were a small Gallic tribe dwelling in the Alpes Cottiae, around present-day Oulx, during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Belacorum'' on the Arch of Susa. CIL 5:7231., s.v. ''Belaci''. The ethnonym Belaci is possibly Ce ...

, north of the

Brigianii The Brigianii (Gaulish: *''Brigianioi'') were a Gallic tribe dwelling around present-day Briançon during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Brigianii'' by Pliny (1st c. AD), and as ''Brigiani'', ''Brigantionis'' ...

and

Quariates The Quariates or Quadiates were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the valley of Queyras, in the Alps, during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Quariates'' (var. ''quadr''-) by Pliny (1st c. AD),Pliny. ''Naturalis Historia'', 3:35. and as ''Qu ...

, and east of the

Ucenni The Ucennii, Ucenni or Iconii were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the Romanche valley, in the Alps, during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Ucenni'' (var. ''uceni'', ''ucermi'') by Pliny (1st c. AD) and on the Tropaeum Alpium, Pliny. '' ...

., Map 17: Lugdunum. The settlement of Ad Fines (modern Fenils) may have been the border between the territories of the Segovii and Belaci.

History

They are mentioned on the Arch of Susa, erected by

Cottius Marcus Julius Cottius was King of the Celtic and Ligurian inhabitants of the mountainous Roman province then known as '' Alpes Taurinae'' and now as the Cottian Alps early in the 1st century BC. Son and successor to King Donnus, he negotiated a ...

in 9–8 BC.

References

Bibliography

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