Cosuanetes

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The Cosuanetes were an ancient tribe living in the Alps during the Iron Age and the Roman era.

Contents

Name

They are mentioned as Cosuanetes (var.-naetes, -nates) by Pliny (1st c. AD), [1] as Kōtonántioi (Κωτονάντιοι) by Strabo (early 1st c. AD), [2] and as Kōnsonántai (Κωνσονάνται) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD). [3] [4]

According to Xavier Delamarre, the name could be interpreted as the Celtic Co-su-anates, from anatia ('soul'), or Co-su-uan-ates, from -uanos ('killer of'). [5] However, Alexander Falileyev argues that "the discrepancies in spelling and Strabo's association of the tribe with the Raeti makes Celtic interpretation, though possible (ko(m)-su-an-et-es or the like) not necessary". [4] The ethnic name Suanetes appears to be linguistically related. [5]

Geography

The tribe was probably located in modern western Austria, near the Rucinates, although no precise location is certain. [6] [4] They were part of the Vindelici. [7]

History

They are mentioned by Pliny the Elder as one of the Alpine tribes conquered by Rome in 16–15 BC, and whose name was engraved on the Tropaeum Alpium. [8]

References

  1. ↑ Pliny. Naturalis Historia, 3:137.
  2. ↑ Strabo, Geōgraphiká, 4:6:8.
  3. ↑ Ptolemy. Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis, 2:12:4.
  4. 1 2 3 Falileyev 2010, s.v. Cosuanetes.
  5. 1 2 Delamarre 2003, pp. 44, 306–207.
  6. ↑ Talbert 2000, Map 19: Raetia.
  7. ↑ Schumacher, Dietz & Zanier 2007.
  8. ↑ Pliny. Naturalis Historia, 3:20.

Primary sources

  • Pliny (1938). Natural History. Loeb Classical Library. Translated by Rackham, H. Harvard University Press. ISBN   978-0674993648.
  • Strabo (1923). Geography. Loeb Classical Library. Translated by Jones, Horace L. Harvard University Press. ISBN   978-0674990562.

Bibliography

  • Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Errance. ISBN   9782877723695.
  • Falileyev, Alexander (2010). Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-names: A Celtic Companion to the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. CMCS. ISBN   978-0955718236.
  • Schumacher, Stefan; Dietz, Karlheinz; Zanier, Werner (2007). "Vindeliker". In Beck, Heinrich (ed.). Reallexikon der Germanischen Altertumskunde. Vol. 35 (2 ed.). De Gruyter. ISBN   978-3110187847.
  • Talbert, Richard J. A. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. ISBN   978-0691031699.
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