Esuvii

The Esuvii were a Gallic tribe dwelling between the lower Seine and the Loire river, in what is now Normandy, during the Iron Age and the Roman period.

Name

They are mentioned as Esuvii by Caesar. The Esuvii are often identified with the Atesui, an otherwise obscure tribe mentioned by Pliny, on the basis of the similarity between the two names.
The ethnic name Esuvii has been traditionally compared with the theonym Esus, leading to interpretations such as 'sons of Esus' or 'those belonging to Esus'. Inscriptions and coinage attest the Celtic personal names Esuvius and Esuvia, which likely supports Esuvii as the original form among the manuscript variants. However, as noted by Andres Hofeneder, even if Esuvii is the correct form, this does not necessarily imply a theophoric meaning. The name Esus may have had an appellative character and could therefore have been reused in the formation of personal names, and in ethnonyms such as Esuvii as well.

Geography

The Esuvii lived in and around the present-day town of Sées, between the Coriosolites and the Aulerci. Their territory was situated between the lower Sequana and the Liger river.

History

In 57 BC, the Esuvii were subdued by Publius Crassus and took part in the western Gallic uprising against Roman forces in the following year.
From the 3rd–4th centuries onward, they were succeeded by the Sagii.