Cocosates

The Cocosates or Cocosates Sexsignani were an Aquitani tribe dwelling in present-day Landes during the Iron Age.

Name

They are mentioned as Cocosates by Caesar (mid-1st c. BC),^[1] and as Cocosates Sexsignani by Pliny (1st c. AD).^[2]^[3]

The etymology of the name remains obscure. It can be derived from the Gaulish stem cocos- ('scarlet red') attached to the suffix -ates ('belonging to'). Red is a colour commonly used in personal names (Cocus, Cocca, Cocidius, etc.) and associated with warfare.^[4]^[3]

Geography

The Cocosates lived in present-day Landes. Their territory was located east of the Atlantic Ocean, west of the Oscidates and Sotiates, north of the Tarbelli and Tarusates, and south of the Boii.^[5]

Their chief town was known as Caequosa (modern Sescouze, near Castets).^[6]

Political organization

The Cocosates were a confederation of six tribes. They were probably clients of the neighbouring Tarbelli.^[6]

References

^ Caesar. Commentarii de Bello Gallico, 3:27:1.
^ Pliny. Naturalis Historia, 4:108.
^ ^a ^b Falileyev 2010, s.v. Cocosates (Sexsignani).
^ Delamarre 2003, pp. 120–121.
^ Talbert 2000, Map 25: Hispania Tarraconensis.
^ ^a ^b Duval 1989, p. 166.

Bibliography

Delamarre, Xavier (2003). Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise: Une approche linguistique du vieux-celtique continental. Errance. ISBN 9782877723695.
Duval, Paul-Marie (1989). "Les peuples de l'Aquitaine d'après la liste de Pline". Travaux sur la Gaule (1946-1986). Vol. 116. École Française de Rome. pp. 721–737. ISBN 9782728301676.
Falileyev, Alexander (2010). Dictionary of Continental Celtic Place-names: A Celtic Companion to the Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. CMCS. ISBN 978-0955718236.
Talbert, Richard J. A. (2000). Barrington Atlas of the Greek and Roman World. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0691031699.