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

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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

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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/ 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) d<e=O>a(e?) / <p=B>ro(!) / Se<q=C>uan(ae) / pro(!) / C(aius) M^* / 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

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• 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

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

Ancient Gaulish and British goddesses | Sea and river goddesses