The Vergunni were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the valley of the Riou, near the

Verdon Verdon may refer to: People * Verdon (surname) Places France * Verdon, Dordogne, in the Dordogne ''département'' * Verdon, Marne, in the Marne ''département'' * Vinon-sur-Verdon, an old French town in the département of Var, Provence-Alpes- ...

river, 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 mentioned as ''Vergunni'' 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) and on an inscription.

. ''Naturalis Historia''
3:20
CIL 5:7817., s.v. ''Vergunni''. The meaning of the name remains obscure. It could be derived 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 ''uergo''- (cf. Gaul. ''uergo-bretus'' 'magistrate', OBret. ''guerg'' 'efficax', Welsh ''gwery'' 'active', OIr. ''ferg'' 'anger'). The village of

Vergons Vergons is a commune in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department in southeastern France. Population See also *Communes of the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence department The following is a list of the 198 Communes of France, communes of the Alpes-de ...

, attested as ''villa Virgonis'' in 814, is probably named after the Gallic tribe.

Geography

The Vergunni lived in a small piece of land situated in the valley of the Riou, a stream tributary of the

river. Their territory was located north of the

Suetrii The Suetrii (Gaulish: *''Su(p)etrioi'', 'the good birds') or Suetri were a Gallic tribe dwelling around present-day Castellane ( Alpes-de-Haute-Provence) during the Iron Age and the Roman period. Name They are mentioned as ''Suebri'' (var. ' ...

, east of the

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

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 ...

, and west of the

Ecdinii The Ecdinii or Ecdini were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the valley of the Tinée ( Alpes-Maritimes) during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Ecdini'' by Pliny (1st c. AD), and as ''Ecdiniorum'' on the Arc of Susa., s.v. ''Ecdinii''. T ...

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),Pliny. ''Naturalis Historia''3:20 and as ''Vesubianorum'' and ''(V)e ...

and Nerusii., Map 16: Col. Forum Iulii-Albingaunum.

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 The Tropaeum Alpium (Latin 'Trophy of the Alps', French: ''Trophée des Alpes''), is a Roman trophy (''tropaeum'') celebrating the emperor Augustus's decisive victory over the tribes who populated the Alps. The monument's ruins are in La Turbi ...

. ''Naturalis Historia''
3:20

References

Primary sources

Bibliography

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