The Suessiones were a
Belgic tribe
The Belgae () were a large confederation of tribes living in northern Gaul, between the English Channel, the west bank of the Rhine, and the northern bank of the river Seine, from at least the third century BC. They were discussed in depth b ...
, dwelling in the modern
Aisne and
Oise regions during the
La Tène and
Roman
Roman or Romans most often refers to:
* Rome, the capital city of Italy
* Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD
*Roman people, the people of ancient Rome
*''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a lett ...
periods.
During the
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and British tribes fought to defend their homel ...
(58–50 BC), their
oppidum Noviodunum (
Pommiers) was besieged and conquered by
Caesar. Following their defeat by the Romans at the end of the campaign of 57 BC, they fell into dependence upon Rome and remained faithful to the Romans during the revolt of 51 BC.
Name
Attestations
They are mentioned as ''Suessiones'' by
Caesar (mid-1st c. BC) and
Pliny (1st c. AD), as ''Souessíōnes'' (Σουεσσίωνες) and ''Ou̓essíōnas'' (Οὐεσσίωνας) by
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called " Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could s ...
(early 1st c. AD), and as ''Ouéssones'' (Οὐέσσονες) by
Ptolemy
Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importanc ...
(2nd c. AD).
Etymology
The etymology of the
Gaulish
Gaulish was an ancient 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, most of Switze ...
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 us ...
''Suessiones'' has been debated, but most scholars derive it from the word for 'six', (cf. Gaulish 'sixth', Irish , Welsh 'six'), after a Gallic custom of including numbers in tribal names (e.g. ''
Vo-contii'', ''
Vo-corii'', ''
Tri-corii'', ''
Petru-corii''). Other proposed etymologies include ''*su-ed-ti-ones'' ('rich in food'), or a formation from the root ''*swe-'' ('proper, to oneself'). The tribal name ''
Suessetani
The Suessetani were a pre-Roman people of the northeast Iberian Peninsula that dwelt mainly in the plains area of the Alba (Arba) river basin (a northern tributary of the Ebro river), in today's Cinco Villas, Aragon, Zaragoza Province (westernmost ...
'' and the place-name (), both attested in
Iberia
The Iberian Peninsula (),
**
* Aragonese language, Aragonese and Occitan language, Occitan: ''Peninsula Iberica''
**
**
* french: Péninsule Ibérique
* mwl, Península Eibérica
* eu, Iberiar penintsula also known as Iberia, is a pe ...
, are probably linguistically related.
The city of
Soissons, attested as ''
Augusta Suessionum
Augusta Suessionum was the civitas capital of the Suessiones, a Belgic tribe dwelling in the modern Aisne and Oise regions. Today known as Soissons, the Roman city was founded during the reign of Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octav ...
'' in the 4th c. AD (''Suessio'' in 561, ''Soisson'' in 1288), and the region of Soissonnais, are named after the tribe.
Geography
Territory
The territory of the Suessiones was bordered by the forest of the
Oise valley to the west, and by wooded heights along the
Marne river (near
Épernay) to the southeast. They dwelt northeast of the smaller
Meldi and
Silvanectes
The Silvanectes (or Sulbanectes) were a small Belgic tribe dwelling around present-day Senlis (Oise) during the Roman period.
Name
Attestations
They are mentioned as ''Ulmanectes'' by Pliny (1st c. AD), as ''Soubánektoi'' (Σουβάνεκ ...
, and west of the
Remi
The Remi (Gaulish: ''Rēmi'', 'the first, the princes') were a Belgic tribe dwelling in the Aisne, Vesle and Suippe river valleys during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Their territory roughly corresponded the modern Marne and Ardennes and ...
.
Settlements
La Tène period
The
oppidum of
Villeneuve-Saint-Germain
Villeneuve-Saint-Germain () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Population
See also
* Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Ais ...
, founded on a plain near the
Aisne river in the middle of the 1st century BC, was the main settlement of the Suessiones before the Roman conquest. It was an important Gallic agglomeration, reaching 70ha at its height.
From the period of the
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and British tribes fought to defend their homel ...
(58–50 BC), their chief town became the oppidum of
Pommiers, generally identified with the fortress of ''Noviodunum'' (
Gaulish
Gaulish was an ancient 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, most of Switze ...
: 'new fortress') mentioned by Caesar. Pommiers was progressively abandoned and became unoccupied after the end of reign of
Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octavius; 23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), also known as Octavian, was the first Roman emperor; he reigned from 27 BC until his death in AD 14. He is known for being the founder of the Roman Pr ...
(27 BC–14 AD), when their chief town became
Augusta Suessionum
Augusta Suessionum was the civitas capital of the Suessiones, a Belgic tribe dwelling in the modern Aisne and Oise regions. Today known as Soissons, the Roman city was founded during the reign of Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octav ...
.
Smaller oppida were also located at
Ambleny
Ambleny () is a commune in the department of Aisne in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France.
Geography
Ambleny is located 8 km west of Soissons and 20 km east of Compiègne. Route National N31 passes through the northern part ...
,
Pont-Saint-Mard
Pont-Saint-Mard () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Geography
The river Ailette forms most of the commune's northern border.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Aisne department
*List of medie ...
, or
Epagny.
Roman period
Augusta Suessionum
Augusta Suessionum was the civitas capital of the Suessiones, a Belgic tribe dwelling in the modern Aisne and Oise regions. Today known as Soissons, the Roman city was founded during the reign of Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octav ...
(modern
Soissons), founded ca. 20 BC on an area more adapted to urbanization than Villeneuve-Saint-Germain and Pommiers, became the capital of the ''
civitas'' ''Suessionum'' during the Roman period. Reaching 100–120ha at its height, it was one of most important settlements of northwestern Gaul. The Germanic Migrations in the 3rd century AD led to the erection of fortifications around the city. Rome was only able to defend the region until the defeat of
Syagrius against the
Frankish king
Clovis in 486.
Smaller agglomerations within the ''civitas'' were also located at
Château-Thierry
Château-Thierry () is a French commune situated in the department of the Aisne, in the administrative region of Hauts-de-France, and in the historic Province of Champagne.
The origin of the name of the town is unknown. The local tradition att ...
,
Ciry-Salsogne,
Épaux-Bézu,
Blesmes,
Sinceny
Sinceny () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Population
See also
* Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne.
The communes ...
, and
Ressons-le-Long.
History
La Tène period
According to archaeologist
Jean-Louis Brunaux, large-scale migrations occurred in the northern part of Gaul in the late 4th–early 3rd century BC, which may correspond to the coming of the
Belgae. Those cultural changes emerged later among the Suessiones, who probably came to be fully integrated to the Belgae only after the 3rd century. New funerary customs (from burial to cremation) are noticeable from 250–200 BC on the territories of the
Ambi or
Bellovaci, whereas incineration occurred later in the
Aisne valley, from around 200–150.
Around 80 BC, the Suessones king
Diviciacus gained supremacy in areas of southeastern Britain.
Gallic Wars
Caesar recounts in his ''
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and British tribes fought to defend their homel ...
'' that in 57 BC the Suessiones were ruled by
Galba.
Political organization
Until the
Gallic Wars
The Gallic Wars were waged between 58 and 50 BC by the Roman general Julius Caesar against the peoples of Gaul (present-day France, Belgium, Germany and Switzerland). Gallic, Germanic, and British tribes fought to defend their homel ...
(58–50 BC), the Suessiones shared a common cultural identity with the neighbouring Remi, which with they were linked by the same law, the same magistrates and a unified commander-in-chief. In reality, this virtual state of union between the two tribes probably leaned in favour of the Suessiones. When
Caesar entered
Gallia Belgica in 57 BC, the Remi asked the protection of the Romans, thus gaining independence from a possibly asymmetrical relationship. The
Meldi were probably also tributary to the more powerful Suessiones.
During the Roman period, the Suessiones were regarded as dependant upon Rome, whereas the Remi were considered the allies of the Romans. Parts of the Suessionean territory were given to the Remi, the
Meldi, and perhaps to the
Sulbanectes. The dependency of the Suessiones upon the Remi appears to have lasted until the beginning of the 1st century AD, and a Roman military presence is attested in Suessionean territory at the camp of Arlaines (
Ressons-le-Long) until the
Flavian period.
Religion
In
Augusta Suessionum
Augusta Suessionum was the civitas capital of the Suessiones, a Belgic tribe dwelling in the modern Aisne and Oise regions. Today known as Soissons, the Roman city was founded during the reign of Augustus
Caesar Augustus (born Gaius Octav ...
were found a votive stele dedicated to the native goddess Camuloriga (''Camloriga''), and a statuette of the Roman god
Mercury. The divine name ''Camuloriga'' stems from the Gaulish term ''camulos'', possibly translated as 'champion, servant' (denoting one who makes efforts) and attached to the suffix ''-riga-'' (''< rigani'' 'queen'; compare with
Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, Goídelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghàidhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writte ...
''rígain'' 'queen').
Rural sanctuaries have been identified at
Fossoy,
Grand-Rozoy
Grand-Rozoy () is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne.
The commu ...
, and
Pasly
Pasly is a commune in the Aisne department in Hauts-de-France in northern France.
Population
See also
*Communes of the Aisne department
The following is a list of the 799 communes in the French department of Aisne.
The communes coope ...
. Archaeologists have not been able to identify which deities were worshipped there.
Economy
The Suessiones straddled two river routes, the
Aisne and the
Marne. Coinage minted by Belgic Gauls first appeared in Britain in the mid-2nd century BC with the coinage now categorized as the "Gallo-Belgic A" type. Coins associated with King Diviciacus of the Suessiones, issued near or between 90 and 60 BC, have been categorized as "Gallo-Belgic C." Finds of this issue of coin extend from Sussex to the Wash, with a concentration of finds near Kent. A later issue of coin, "Gallo-Belgic F" (c. 60-50 BC), has concentrated finds near Paris, throughout the lands of the Suessiones, and the southern, coastal areas of Britain. These finds lead scholars to suggest that the Suessiones had significant trade and migration into Britain during the 2nd and 1st centuries prior to Roman conquest. Caesar describes the Belgae as going to Britain looking for booty: "The inland part of Britain is inhabited by tribes declared in their own tradition to be indigenous to the island, the maritime part by tribes that migrated at an earlier time from Belgium to seek booty by invasion."
[Gaius Julius Caesar (57 BC), ''Commentarii de Bello Gallico,'' V:12.]
See also
*
List of peoples of Gaul
The Gauls ( la, Galli; grc, Γαλάται, ''Galátai'') were a group of Celtic peoples of mainland Europe in the Iron Age and the Roman period (roughly 5th century BC to 5th century AD). Their homeland was known as Gaul (''Gallia''). They s ...
*
List of Celtic tribes
This is a list of Celtic tribes, organized in order of the likely ethnolinguistic kinship of the peoples and tribes.
In Classical antiquity, Celts were a large number and a significant part of the population in many regions of Western Europe, ...
References
Bibliography
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Further reading
* Debord, Jean. Un statère anépigraphe des Suessiones découvert à Berzy-le-Sec (Aisne). In: Revue archéologique de Picardie, n°1-2, 1985. pp. 21–24.
OI: https://doi.org/10.3406/pica.1985.1458; www.persee.fr/doc/pica_0752-5656_1985_num_1_1_1458
{{Authority control
Belgae
Historical Celtic peoples
Gauls
Tribes of pre-Roman Gaul
Tribes involved in the Gallic Wars