The opening ceremony for the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics will take place on the fabled French waterway. But did you know it was named for a Gallo-Roman deity?
Unveiled in 2015, this statue by sculptor Eric de Laclos depicts Sequana, the ancient Gallo-Roman goddess of the Seine./ runs a joyous river,” sang Edith Piaf. Hollywood blockbusters and hit pop songs have certainly ensured the river’s international celebrity status. Yet few people know about the Gallo-Roman goddess for which the Seine is named. Celtic in origin, the healing deity Sequana was honored in cult worship after the Roman conquest of Gaul in the first century B.C.
“One such ex-voto represents a leg with a sponge placed on the ankle, not unlike a sponge you’d use today in the shower,” explains Franck Abert, curator of the, where the collection is housed. Dating from 40 B.C., the wooden ex-votos are exceedingly rare, having been preserved in marshy, humid conditions for more than two millennia. Unique in France are the stone ex-votos of hands formed in the shape of a stirrup and holding a round fruit.
A plan of the Gallo-Roman town of Lutetia, ancient site of today’s Paris, by engraver and illustrator Henri de Montaut .After all, the goddess gave her name to France’s famous river, the word evolving over time into the “Seine” moniker that’s universally recognized today. This is additional evidence of Sequana’s Gallic origins. “It’s a feminine name, whereas generally the Romans gave masculine names to watercourses,” explains Abert.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
E. coli levels of Paris' Seine River soar one month before Summer OlympicsSeine River E. coli levels 10x acceptable levels one month from start of Paris Olympics
Read more »
River Seine Pollution Could Cancel Paris Olympics Events—Here’s WhyTy Roush is a New York City-based breaking news reporter who frequently covers Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, the automotive industry and sports money. He joined Forbes in 2022 and has covered Exxon acquiring Pioneer for nearly $60 billion, a mysterious respiratory illness affecting dogs across the U.S.
Read more »
Will the Seine River be safe to swim in for the Paris Olympics?Chloe Nordquist is a national journalist for the E.W. Scripps Company. She has a passion for telling community stories and giving a voice to the voiceless. Chloe has had the opportunity to report across the world, as far as Milan and Berlin. Previously she worked at news stations in California’s Central Valley and Southwest Florida.
Read more »
Paris Protesters Plan to Poop in Seine River to Highlight How Dirty It IsParis protesters are ready for a defecation demonstration ... claiming they're going to poop in the famed Seine to prove just how disgusting it is!
Read more »
Seine River Too Polluted for Paris Olympics Water Sports: What We KnowWith the Paris Olympics starting in just a month, the Seine river seems to be a growing concern for swimming and the Open Ceremonies.
Read more »
Boats cruise the Seine river in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ opening ceremonyCurious onlookers gathered on bridges as dozens of boats snaked along the Seine river on Monday in a rehearsal for the Paris Olympics’ unique opening ceremony next month
Read more »