Marne: An important river of France, the chief tributary of the Seine, which it joins near Paris. Known to Julius Caesar and the Romans as the Matrona, this stream has become one of the most celebrated historic rivers of France. On and near its banks the French armies under the leadership of Joffre, Foch, and other noted commanders stopped the great German invasion in September, 1914, by a series of engagements known collectively as the Battle of the Marne.

---