Vediantii

They are mentioned as Ou̓ediantíōn (Οὐεδιαντίων) by Ptolemy (2nd c. AD),Ptolemy. Geōgraphikḕ Hyphḗgēsis, 3:1:39. and an oppidum Vediantiorum civitatis is documented by Pliny (1st c. AD).Pliny. Naturalis Historia, [https://www.loebclassics.com/view/pliny_elder-natural_history/1938/pb_LCL352.37.xml 3:47].{{Harvnb|Falileyev|2010}}, s.v. Vediantii.

The ethnonym Vediantii is probably Celtic. It has been interpreted as 'pertaining to the praying ones' (from the root wed- 'to pray' extended by a present participial formation -ie-nt-),{{Sfn|Delamarre|2003|p=309}}Isaac, Graham, "Place-Names in Ptolemy's Geography : An Electronic Data Base with Etymological Analysis of Celtic Name Elements". CD-ROM. 2004, CMCS Publications, Aberystwyth. as the 'Leaders' (from *wedʰ-yā 'guidance, leadership'), or else as the 'Sages' (from *weid-yā 'knowledge, doctrine').{{Sfn|de Bernardo Stempel|2000|p=91}}{{sfn|Beck|2013|pp=54–55}}

The Vediantii dwelled on the Mediterranean coast, between the river Var and the Mont Agel, around the Massaliote colony of Nikaea (modern Nice).{{Sfn|Barruol|1969|pp=365–367}} Their territory was located east of the Deciates and Nerusii, west of the Intimilii, and south of the Vesubiani.{{Harvnb|Talbert|2000}}, Map 16: Col. Forum Iulii-Albingaunum.

Their chief town was the oppidum Vediantiorum, known as Cemenelum by the 2nd century AD. Corresponding to modern Cimiez, now a neighbourhood of Nice, the settlement controlled the trading route from the Mediterranean coast towards the hinterland and the Alps. After the subjugation of the Ligurian tribes in 14 BC, Cemenelum became the centre of the local Roman military government, then served as the capital of the new Roman province from its creation by Nero in 63 AD.{{Sfn|Rivet|1988|p=341}}{{Sfn|Jannet-Vallat|2004|pp=405–407}}

Contrary to other tribes of the region, the Vediantii were probably allied or tributary to Massalia and the Roman Republic by the 2nd century BC. When the Oxybii and Deciates attacked the Massaliote colonies of Nikaea and Antipolis (Antibes) and were subsequently defeated in 154 BC, the territory of the Vediantii was not reduced by the Romans, and their chief town Cemenelum became the capital of the Alpes Maritimae after its foundation in 63 AD.{{Sfn|Barruol|1969|p=373}} Additionally, the Vediantii are not mentioned in the Trophy of the Alps, suggesting that they were either already subjugated by or allied to Rome at the time of the conquest of the region in 14 BC.{{Sfn|Jannet-Vallat|2004|p=406}}

Three inscriptions dated to the 1st–2nd centuries AD and dedicated to the Matres Vediantiae were found near Tourrette-Levens and Cimiez.{{sfn|Beck|2013|pp=54–55}}

{{blockquote|text=Matronis Vediantiabus P(ublius) Enistalius P(ublii) f(ilius) Cl(audia tribu) Paternus Cemenelensis optio ad ordine(m) (centurionis) leg(ionis) XXII Primigeniae Piae Fidelis l(ibens) m(erito)
[To the Matronae Vediantiae, Publius Enistalius Paternus, son of Publius, of the Claudia tribe, from Cemenelum, optio promoted to centurion in the legion XXII Primigenia Pia Fidelis, willingly and deservedly (offered this monument)]|source=Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum (CIL) 5:07872.}}

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• {{Cite book|last=Pliny|title=Natural History|publisher=Harvard University Press|year=1938|isbn=978-0674993648|series=Loeb Classical Library|translator-last=Rackham|translator-first=H.|author-link=Pliny the Elder}}

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• {{Cite book|last=Barruol|first=Guy|title=Les Peuples préromains du Sud-Est de la Gaule: étude de géographie historique|date=1969|publisher=E. de Boccard|oclc=3279201|author-link=Guy Barruol}}
• {{Cite book|last=Beck|first=Noémie|title=Théonymie celtique, cultes, interpretatio - Keltische Theonymie, Kulte, Interpretatio|date=2013|publisher=Austrian Academy of Sciences Press|isbn=978-3-7001-7369-4|editor-last=Hofeneder|editor-first=Andreas|pages=51–72|chapter=Celtic Divine Names Related to Gaulish and British Population Groups|jstor=j.ctv8mdn28.7|editor2-last=de Bernardo Stempel|editor2-first=Patrizia}}
• {{Cite book|last=de Bernardo Stempel|first=Patrizia|title=Ptolemy: Towards a Linguistic Atlas of the Earliest Celtic Place-names of Europe|publisher=CMCS|year=2000|isbn=978-0952747833|editor-last=Parsons|editor-first=David N.|location=|pages=83–112|chapter=Ptolemy's Celtic Italy and Ireland: A linguistic analysis|editor-last2=Sims-Williams|editor-first2=Patrick|author-link=Patrizia de Bernardo Stempel}}
• {{Cite book|last=Delamarre|first=Xavier|title=Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental|publisher=Errance|year=2003|isbn=9782877723695|author-link=Xavier Delamarre}}
• {{Cite book|last=Falileyev|first=Alexander|title=Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-names: A Celtic Companion to the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World|publisher=CMCS|year=2010|isbn=978-0955718236}}
• {{Cite journal|last=Jannet-Vallat|first=Monique|date=2004|title=Cimiez / Cemelenum (Alpes-Maritimes)|journal=Supplément à la Revue archéologique du centre de la France|volume=25|issue=1|pages=405–410|issn=1951-6207}}
• {{Cite book|last=Rivet|first=A. L. F.|title=Gallia Narbonensis: With a Chapter on Alpes Maritimae : Southern France in Roman Times|date=1988|publisher=Batsford|isbn=978-0-7134-5860-2|author-link=A. L. F. Rivet}}
• {{Cite book|last=Talbert|first=Richard J. A.|title=Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World|publisher=Princeton University Press|year=2000|isbn=978-0691031699|author-link=Richard Talbert}}

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Category:Historical Celtic peoples

Category:Gauls

Category:Tribes in pre-Roman Gaul

Category:Ligures