Page:Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography Volume II.djvu/983

 SENA. The river Sena, alluded to by Silius Italicusand Lu- can, must be the small stream now called the Nevola or Nigola, which falls into the sea at Sinigaglia. (Sil. Ital. viii. 453; Lucan, ii. 407.) [E. H. B.] SENA (Safi/a, Ptol.: Eth. Senensis; Siena), a city of Etruria, sometimes called Sena Julia, to distinguish it from the city of the same name on the Adriatic. It was situated nearly in the heart of Etruria, about 28 miles E. of Volaterrae and 40 S. of Florentia. There is no reason whatever to suppose that there was an Etruscan city on the site, and no allusion to its existence occurs before the establishment of the Roman colony. Even the date of this is not accurately known; but it is pro- bable from the epithet of Julia that it was founded either by Caesar himself or by the Triumvirate in his honour. It is singular that its name is not found in the Liber Coloniarum; but its colonial rank is attested by Pliny, who calls it " colonia Senensis," as well as by Tacitus. (Plin. iii. 5. s. 8; Tac. Hist. iv. 45.) It is subsequently mentioned by Ptolemy, as well as in the Tabula, which places it on a line of road from Florentia to Clusium. (Ptol. iii. 1. § 49; Tab. Peut.) But it seems never to have been a place of much importance in ancient times, and it was not till the middle ages that it rose to be one of the first cities of Tuscany. It Las no remains of antiquity. (Dennis's Etruria, vol. ii. p. 135.) [E. H. B.] SENA INSULA, in Gallia. On this island, which was opposite to the coast of the Osismii, was an oracle of a Gallic goddess. Nine virgins named Gallicenae (Barrigenae, ed. I. Vossius) had the care of the oracle. They could raise storms by their verses, change themselves into beasts, heal diseases, and foretell the future, but they were only propitious to seamen who came to consult them. (iMela, iii. 6.) This is the island of Seiii, incorrectly called on the maps Isle des Saints, which is at the entrance of the bay of Douarnenez, and separated from a point of land on the coast of Britany (^Pointe Raz) by a narrow channel. D'Anville supposes that this may be the island which Strabo places opposite the moutli of the Loire. This island was inhabited only by women who were possessed by Dionysus. • They allowed no man to enter their island ; but so far from keeping their virginity, they used to visit the men on the mainland. These two stories are very dif- ferent. Strabo names his island that of the Nam- nites, as Groskurd (Strah. Transl. i. p. 198) has it; but the name is Samnites in the common texts of Strabo. This seems to be the same island that Dionysius speaks oi {Perieg. 571) as being visited by the women of the Amnitae for the purpose of performing the rites of Bacchus. D'Anville further thinks that Pliny (iv. 16) may be speaking of Sena when he mentions after the islands which are near to Britain, Siambis, or Amnis, as some MSS. have it, and Axantos, which is evidently Uxantis or Oues- sant. Sina, as the Maritime Itin. names it, is men- tioned there with Uxantis. [G. L.] SENIA (Sew'a, Ptol. ii. 16. (17.) § 2), a Roman colony on the coast of Liburnia (" Colonia Senensis," Tac. n. iv. 45), and on the road from Aquileia to Siscia. (^Itin. Ant. p. 273.) It had a harbour. (Comp. Plin. iii. 21. s. 25; Geogr. Rav. iv. 31; Tab. Pent.) Variously identified with Zeng or Senga. [T. H. D.] SENOMAGUS, in Gallia Narbonensis, is men- tioned in the Table, and placed north of Avenio {Avignon), on a road along the east side of the SENONES. 963 Rhone. Some geographers guess that it may be near the Pont St. Esprit. [G. L.] SE'NONES CSfvoves, Se'wores, Steph. B. s. v.). Polybius(ii. 17) names the Italian Senones, STJ^airey. The Roman poets make thepenultima short: — " Ut Braccatorum pueri Senonumque minores." (Juv. viii. 234.) An absurd explanation of the name is quoted by Festus (s. ». Senones) and by Servius (ad A en. viii. 656). The Senones were one of the great Celtic nations who bordered on the Belgae. (Caes. B. G. ii. 2.) They were north-west of the Aedui and bordered on them. Their capital was Agedincum (Sens), on the right bank of the Yonne, which is a branch of the Seine. (Ptol. ii. 8. § 12.) The Senones are in the Lugdunensis of Ptolemy and Pliny. Besides Age- dincum there were in the country of the Senones, Autissiodurum (^Auxerre) and Meludunum (Mehni) on the Seine not far from Paris, which shows that their territory extended from the neighbourhood of Paris along the Sei7ie and along the Yonne to the borders of the small nation of the Wanduhii [Man- dubh], whose town was Alesia,and to the borders of the Lingones. The railroad from Paris to Dijon, which passes near Meliin, Fontainehleau, Sens, Joigny, St. Florentin, Tonnerre on the Armanqon, a branch of the Yonne, runs through the country of the Senones, Between St. Florentin and Flvgny, which is about lialf-way between St. Florentiri and Tonnerre, extends a vast plain, level as the sea. fer- tile, and in summer covered with wheat. A large part of the territory of the Senones is a fertile country. In seems to have comprehended the dioceses of Sens and Auxerre. Besides Melodunum and Agedincum, Caesar mentions Vellaunodunum as a town of the Senones (vii. 11), on the side towards the Carnutes. The Senones were at first well disponed to Caesar (-B. G. ii. 2), probably through fear of their neigh- bours, the Belgae and the German people north of the Marne. Caesar had given them Cavarinus for a king, but the Senones expelled him (v. 54); and when the Roman proconsul ordered the senate of the Senones to come to him, they refused. In the spring of 15. c. 53 Caesar summoned the states of Gallia to a meeting, but the Senones, Carnutes, and Treviri would not come (vi. 3), upon which he transferred the meeting of the states to Lutetia Parisiorum. He says that the Parisii bordered on the Senones, and " within the memory of their fathers they had united their state with that of the Senones;" but he does not explain the nature of this union. He marched from Lutetia (Paris) into the country of the Senones, which presents no difficulties for an army. Tiie Senones yielded in spite of Acco, who was the leader in the revolt; and Caesar took with him Cavaiinus and the cavalry of the Senones, in which force it is probable that they were strong, as their country is well adapted for grazing and corn. At the close of the year Caesar whijqied Acco to death, and quar- tered six of his legions at Sens for the winter (vi. 44). In B. C. 52 the Senones sent 12,000 men with the rest of the Gallic forces to attack Caesar before Alesia (vii. 75). The Senones seem to jiave given Caesar no more trouble; but in u. c. 51 Drappes, a Senon, at the head of a number of desperate men, was threatening the Provincia. Drappes was caught and starved himself to death. (B. G. viii. 30, 44.) [G.L.] SENONES (Srjrwfes), a nation of (iaulish origin, which was settled in Italy, on the coast of the Adriatic, extending from tlio river Acsis (Esino), 3q 2