Aesis
Found aesis with different capitalization.
- a river in Umbria, Plin. 11, 42, 97, § 241.
- I Aesinas, ātis, adj., of or pertaining to Aesis: caseus, Plin. 11, 42, 97, § 241.—
- II Aesinātes, ium, m., the inhabitants of Aesis, Plin. 3, 14, 19, § 113.
AESIS (Αἶδις, Strab.; Αἰδῖνος, App.), a river on the east coast of Italy, which rises in the Apennines near Matilica, and flows into the Adriatic, between Ancona and Sena Gallica; it is still called the Esino. It constituted in early times the boundary between the territory of the Senonian Gauls and Picenum; and was, therefore, regarded as the northern limit of Italy on the side of the Adriatic. But after the destruction of the Senones, when the confines of Italy were extended to the Rubicon, the Aesis became the boundary between the two provinces of Umbria and Picenum. (Strab. v. pp. 217, 227, 241; Plin. Nat. 3.14. 19; Mela, 2.4; Ptol. 3.1.22, where the name is corruptly written Ἄδιος; Liv. 5.35.) According to Silius Italicus (Sil. Ital. 8.446) it derived its appellation from a Pelasgian chief of that name, who had ruled over this part of Italy. There can be no doubt that the Aesinus of Appian (App. BC 1.87), on the banks of which a great battle was fought between Metellus and Carinas, the lieutenant of Carbo, in-B.C. 82, is the same with the Aesis of other writers.
In the Itinerary we find a station (AD AESIM) at the mouth of the river, which was distant 12 M. P. from Sena Gallica, and 8 from Ancona. (Itin. Ant. p. 316.)
[E.H.B]AESIS or AE´SIUM (Αδις, Ptol.; Αδιον, Strab.; Eth. Aesinas,--atis), a town of Umbria situated on the N. bank of the river of the same name, about 10 miles from its mouth. It is still called Iesi, and is an episcopal town of some consideration. Pliny mentions it only as an ordinary municipal town: but we learn from several inscriptions that it was a Roman colony, though the period when it attained this rank is unknown. (Inscrr. ap. Gruter. p. 446. 1, 2; Orelli, no. 3899, 3900; Zumpt, de Colon. p. 359.) According to Pliny (Plin. Nat. 11.42, 97) it was noted for the excellence of its cheeses.
The form Aesium, which is found only in Strabo, is probably erroneous, Αἴσιονζζζ being, according to Kramer, a corrupt reading for Ἀδίδιον. (Strab. 5. p. 227; Ptol. 3.1.53; Plin. Nat. 3.14. 19.)
[E.H.B]A river forming the boundary between Picenum and Umbria.
A site on the left bank of the river Aesis, the boundary between Umbria and Picenum, ca. 18 km inland from the Adriatic. Under the Romans it was inscribed in the tribus Pollia and at some time given the rank of colonia. It seems not to have been of great consequence in Roman times. Antiquities from the area are kept in the Palazzo della Signoria.
L. RICHARDSON, JR.