Sequana

In Gallo-Roman religion, Sequana was the goddess of the river Seine, particularly the springs at the source of the Seine, and the Gaulish tribe the Sequani.

Representations

A large bronze statue of a woman, draped in a long gown and with a diadem on her head, is believed to represent Sequana (Deyts p.74). She stands on a boat, the prow of which is shaped like the head of a duck. The statue is now in the Musée Archeologique de Dijon.

Inscriptions

Eight inscriptions to Sequana are known, all from the Sources of the Seine. The following are typical (CIL 13, 02858):

Au(gusto) sac(rum) d(eae) Sequan(ae) e[x] / moni[tu]

and (CIL 13, 02862):

Aug(usto) sac(rum) / d(e)ae Seq(uanae) / Fl(avius) Flav(i)n(us) / pro sal(ute) / Fl(avi) Luna(ris) / nep(otis) sui / ex voto / v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)

Some inscriptions contain spelling errors that may give a clue to the pronunciation of Sequana in Gaulish (CIL 13, 02863):

Aug(usto) sac(rum) da(e?) / ro(!) / Seuan(ae) / pro(!) / C(aius) M[3] / v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito)

As Gaulish is in the P-Celtic classification, q cannot represent the Indo-European k^w. Something like Sek-ooana is more likely.

References

* Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL) vol XIII, The Gauls and Germanies.
* Deyts, Simone (1992) Images des Dieux de la Gaule. Paris, Editions Errance. ISBN 2-87772-067-5.

External links

*A small image of the bronze statue in the Musée Archeologique de Dijon believed to represent Sequana