(Redirected from Saenones):''For the town in France, see
Senones, Vosges.''
The 'Senones' were a
Gallic people of
Gallia Celtica, who in the time of
Julius Caesar inhabited the district which now includes the departments of
Seine-et-Marne,
Loiret and
Yonne.
From 53-51 B.C. they were engaged in hostilities with Caesar brought about by their expulsion of
Cavarinus, whom he had appointed their king. In 51 B.C., a Senonian named
Drappes threatened the Provincia, but was captured and starved himself to death. From this time the Gallic Senones disappear from history. In later times they were included in
Gallia Lugdunensis. Their chief towns were
Agedincum (later Senones, whence
Sens),
Metiosedum (
Melun; according to A. Holder,
Meudon), and
Vellaunodunum (site uncertain).
More important historically were the Senones who lived in eastern Italy. They could be a branch of the above (called ~vwver, Senones, by
Polybius), who about 400 B.C. made their way over the Alps and, having driven out the Umbrians settled on the east coast of Italy from
Ariminum to
Ancona, in the so-called ''
ager Gallicus'', and founded the town of
Sena Gallica (
Sinigaglia), which became their capital. In 391 they invaded
Etruria and besieged
Clusium. The Clusines appealed to
Rome, whose intervention, accompanied by a violation of the law of nations, led to war, the defeat of the Romans at the
Allia (
18 July 390) and the capture of Rome. For more than 100 years the Senones were engaged in hostilities with the Romans, until they were finally subdued (283) by
P. Cornelius Dolabella and driven out of their territory. Nothing more is heard of them in Italy. It is probable that they formed part of the bands of Gauls who spread themselves over the countries by the Danube, Macedonia and Asia Minor. A Roman colony was established at Sena, called Sena Gallica (currently
Senigallia) to distinguish it from Sena Julia (Siena) in Etruria.
References
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