Picenum

As Picenum was called in ancient times a landscape in central Italy. It lay south of Umbria on the Adriatic Sea and was separated from the land of the Sabines by the Apennine Mountains, the eastern foothills crisscrossed the Picenum. It was watered by many parallel small coastal rivers, including the Aesis ( esino ), which marked the northern border, the Flusor ( Chienti ), the Tinna ( Tenna ), the Truentus ( Tronto ) and the southern boundary forming Aternus (Pescara ).

The inhabitants, Picentes, Piceni, also called Picentini ( the name was derived from picus, woodpecker, holy after Marsvogel ), were among the Sabellians and were considered effeminate and unwarlike. Although the Picentes closed 299 BC an alliance with Rome, but were already 269 again. They were beaten by the consul Publius Sempronius Sophus and after the conquest of their capital Asculum (now Ascoli Piceno) subjected to Roman rule in the fight that ensued therefrom. The Social War 90-89, where the Picentes took a prominent part, this gave Roman citizenship. Since the Augustan period the Picenum was the fifth region of Italy.

The most important cities of the country were at the time of Roman rule on the coast Ancona ( colony of Syracuse), Firmum, Castrum Novum ( founded in 265 by the Romans ) and Hadrian; inside: Asculum, Urbs Salvia and Interamnia. The Picenum was known for the production of oil, wine and fruit.

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