v29_0759 - SENONES (Area of Sens) Bronze YIII à l’oiseau, stylisé

SENONES (Area of Sens)

(2nd - 1st century BC)

The Sénons, whose name means the sages or the elders, controlled a vast territory which extended between the south of Champagne and the north of Burgundy. Their main oppidum was Agedincum (Sens) which still retains the name of the ancient civitas today. They had several other oppida like Auxerre, Tonnerre or Avallon. Divona seems to have been the principal sanctuary of the Senones. Caesar had wintered six of his legions in 53 BC at Agedincum. Labienus, Caesar's lieutenant and legate, came to settle in the region of Sens between Gergovie and Alesia in order to control the roads and protect Caesar's armies from an attack from the Belgians or the Germans. Caesar (BG. II, 2; V, 54, 56; VI, 2, 3, 44; VII, 4, 10, 11, 34, 56-59, 62, 75). Ptolemy (G. II, 8, 9).