Vergunni Explained

The Vergunni were a Gallic tribe dwelling in the valley of the Riou, near the Verdon river, during the Iron Age.

Name

They are mentioned as Vergunni by Pliny (1st c. AD) and on an inscription.^{[1] [2]}

The meaning of the name remains obscure. It could be derived from the Gaulish stem uergo- (cf. Gaul. uergo-bretus 'magistrate', OBret. guerg 'efficax', Welsh gwery 'active', OIr. ferg 'anger').

The village of Vergons, attested as villa Virgonis in 814, is probably named after the Gallic tribe.

Geography

The Vergunni lived in a small piece of land situated in the valley of the Riou, a stream tributary of the Verdon river. Their territory was located north of the Suetrii, east of the Sentii, south of the Eguiturii and Nemeturii, and west of the Ecdinii, Vesubiani and Nerusii.^[3]

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.^[4]

References

Primary sources

• Book: Pliny. Natural History. Harvard University Press. 1938. 978-0674993648. Loeb Classical Library. Rackham. H.. Pliny the Elder.

Bibliography

• Book: Barruol, Guy. Les Peuples préromains du Sud-Est de la Gaule: étude de géographie historique. 1969. E. de Boccard. 3279201. Guy Barruol.
• Book: Delamarre, Xavier. Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Errance. 2003. 9782877723695. Xavier Delamarre.
• Book: Falileyev, Alexander. Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-names: A Celtic Companion to the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. CMCS. 2010. 978-0955718236.
• Book: Talbert, Richard J. A.. Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. 2000. 978-0691031699. Richard Talbert.

Notes and References

1. [Pliny the Elder|Pliny]
2. , s.v. Vergunni.
3. , Map 16: Col. Forum Iulii-Albingaunum.
4. [Pliny the Elder|Pliny]