Avenio

• a town in Gallia Narbonensis, now Avignon, Mel. 2, 5, 2; Plin. 3, 4, 5, § 36; cf. Mann. Gall. p. 94.

AVE´NIO (Αὐενίων, Strab. p. 185: Eth. Avennicus, Αὐενιωνήσιος, Αὐενιωνίτης: Avignon), a town of Gallia Narbonensis, at the junction of the Druentia, Durance, and the Rhone. It was in the territory of the Cavares; and Pliny and Mela (2.5) call it Avenio Cavarum. Pliny (Plin. Nat. 3.4) enumerates it among the oppida Latina,t hat is, the towns which had the Latinitas, of Gallia Narbonensis. Ptolmey calls it a colonia. Stephanus (s. v. Αὐενίων) calls it a city of Massalia,f rom which it seems that there is some authority for supposing it to be a Greek foundation, or to have come under the dominion of the Greeks of Marseille. Besides the resemblance of the ancient and modern names, the site of Avignon is determined by the Itin. route from Arelate to Vienna and Lugdunum, which passed through Avenio. COIN OF AVENIO.