SANTONES Saintes region - Lot 114

SANTONES Saintes region 2nd third of 1st century and Gallic War Helmeted head of Rome to left. In front, ARIVOS. Grenetis. R/. Horse galloping to right, mane beaded. Around the edge, SANTONO[S]. Below, beaded rosette. Grènetis. ♦ DT 3265; LT 4525 Silver denarius "with helmeted head". (1,82 g) A very fine example. Santones. The Santones were a Gallic people who, during antiquity, occupied a territory covering the future province of Saintonge, currently the French department of Charente-Maritime with the west of the department of Charente and the north of Gironde. It gave its name to the town of Saintes. The Angoumois region may have been attached to the city of Santons before it became an independent city, a point still debated by specialists. In 60 B.C., the Santons agreed to take in the Helvetians, who were threatened with invasion by the Germans, and planned to settle them at the mouth of the Gironde, which they then dominated. Arivos is said to be a valiant warrior.