The Adanates or Edenates were a small

Gallic Gallic is an adjective that may describe: * ancient Gaul (Latin: Gallia), roughly corresponding to the territory of modern France **pertaining to the Gauls ** Roman Gaul (1st century BC to 5th century) **Gallic Empire (260–273) ** Frankish ...

tribe dwelling around present-day

Seyne Seyne (; Vivaro-Alpine: ''Sèina'') is a commune in Alpes-de-Haute-Provence, a department of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region in south-east France. It is roughly 30 km north of Digne. The village's official name is listed under t ...

, 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 ...

, 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 ''Edenates'' (var. '-) 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, ...

(1st c. AD),

. ''Naturalis Historia''
3:20
and as ''Adanatium'' on the Arc of Susa., s.v. ''Edenates''. The etymology of the name ''Adanates'' is unclear.

Guy Barruol Guy Barruol (born 10 June 1934) is a French historian and archaeologist. He is director of research emeritus at the CNRS. Biography Guy Barruol was born on 10 June 1934 in Mazan, Vaucluse, the son of Jean Barruol (1898–1982), a local histor ...

has proposed to compare it with ''Adenatius'' (or ''Adenatis'') and ''Adana'', and postulated an original *''Senedenates'', with loss of the initial ''s-'' retained in ''Sedena''. According to Alexander Falileyev, "if the original form was indeed *''Sed-'', the name could be Celtic, from ''sedo-'' 'seat, location'; but in view of the form recorded in inscriptions, it is unlikely. If ''Eden-'' is the original form, the name does not appear Celtic."

Xavier Delamarre Xavier Delamarre (; born 5 June 1954) is a French linguist, lexicographer, and diplomat. He is regarded as one of the world's foremost authorities on the Gaulish language. Since 2019, he has been an associate researcher for the CNRS-PSL AOrOc l ...

has proposed to interpret the name as ''Ed-en-ati'' ('those from the land/country'), from a Gaulish stem ''edo-(n)-'' ('space, land').

Geography

The Adanates dwelled around the settlement of Sedena (modern

). Their territory was located south of the

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. ' ...

, west of the

Savincates The Savincates were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the Ubaye valley, around present-day Faucon-de-Barcelonnette in the Alpes Maritimae, during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Savincatium'' on two inscriptions., s.v. ''Savincates''. T ...

, east of the

Sebaginni The Sebaginni were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the middle Durance valley during the Iron Age. Name They are mentioned as ''Sebaginnos'' (var. -''gninos'', ''Sabagnanos'') by Cicero (early 1st c. BC).Cicero. ''Pro P. Quinctio'', 25:80., s.v. ''S ...

, and north 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. ''Natural ...

and

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( ...

., Map 17: Lugdunum.

History

They are mentioned once in ancient texts 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 Turb ...

. They also appear 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

Primary sources

Bibliography

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