The Budenicenses were a small Gallic tribe dwelling in the present-day Gard department during the Roman period.
They are attested as Budenicenses on an inscription found in Collias (Gard). A dedication to the god Mars Budenicus was also discovered in the same town. [1] [2]
The ethnonym Budenicenses derives from the Celtic term *budīnā, meaning 'troop, host', probably 'troop guarding the frontier' (cf. Old Irish buiden, Middle Welsh byddin 'troop, army'; Late Latin bodǐna 'boundary marker' > French borne, a loanword from Gaulish). [3]
The town of Bezouce (Gard), attested as Biducia in 1146 AD, is named after the Gallic tribe. [3]
On the basis of their association with Mars Budenicus, the Budenicenses have been identified as community neighbouring Collias, similar to the Coriobedenses. [4]
This identification is consistent with a localisation at or near Bezouce (Biducia), located near Collias, whose name is linguistically related to that of the Budenicenses. [3] [5]
They appear on an inscription dedicated to Jupiter alongside the Coriobedenses. [6]
| Inscription | Translation | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Iovi Coriobedens[es] et Budenicenses [--] | To Jupiter, the communities of the Coriobedenses and the Budenicenses. [6] | CIL XII 2972 |
While the Budenicenses honoured Jupiter collectively with the Coriobedenses, they also had a distinct protective deity of their own, identified as Mars Budenicus. [7] The latter is probably a Celtic equivalent of Mars Militaris. [2] [8]
The epithet Budenicus indicates a specific association with, or protection of, the local community. By contrast, the absence of such a qualifying epithet in the dedication to Jupiter may suggest his primacy, reflecting his role as a supreme deity who integrates and receives other divinities within his sphere. [7]
| Inscription | Translation | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Marti Budenic[o] Gratus Sever[i] filius | To Mars Budenicus, Gratus, son of Severus. [6] | CIL XII 2973 |
