|
Sacanus
A Gaulish God: The Strong One
Sacanus is a Gaulish god known from a single inscription found at Carpentras, France where the name is inscribed on a votive tablet. Sacanus' name can be interpreted as 'the strong one' or 'the ugly one' but no further attributes of this deity survive. |
|
Gaul: The Strong One
Sacanus is probably a local deity known only from a single inscription found at Carpentras, Caucluse, France (CIL XII 01178) which reads L(ucius) Eppius Licorux Sacano v(otum) s(olvit) l(ibens) m(erito) (Lucius Eppius Licorux [offers this to] Sacanus willingly and deservedly in fulfillment of a vow) . Unfortunately, nothing is known of this deity save his name, which can be interpreted as being derived from the reconstructed proto-Celtic lexical elements: *sagro- (strong) or *sakro- (ugly) along with the Latinized masculine determinative ending -us. Thus Sacanus is either 'The Strong One' or 'The Ugly One'. For a deity, the former etymology is more attractive and might indicate that Sacanus was an aspect of the Gaulish 'Hercules' (generally represented as Ogmios; though the latter etymology cannot be entirely discounted.
Couldn't find what you were looking for? Search the web:
One Million People CampaignIf you can spare $1 then help support this site and change someone's life forever? Learn how and why on the One Million People campaign page. Or donate $10 and get my Guide to Spices or The Recipes of Africa eBooks as a gift for your donation! |
