- Ausones
The Ausones ( _it. Ausoni) were an ancient
Italic tribe settled in the southern part ofItaly . Often confused with theAurunci , they share with them only a probably common origin.History
According to a legend told by
Diodorus Siculus , The King of the Ausones wasAusonus , son of Ulysses andCirce (or Calypso). Son of Ausonus wasLiparus , whence theLipari Islands name.Only fragmentary news exist about historical Ausones.
The first Greek settlers found Italy inhabited by three major populations: Ausones,
Enotri andJapigi . The Ausoni spoke an Indo-European language and were probably present in Italy at least from the17th century BC . Their territory was calledAusonia (sometimes used for extension to denote the whole Italy): in the8th century BC it included what is now southernLazio andCampania until theSele river. According to Diodorus Siculus, they were also settled in the territory ofReggio Calabria . Around1270 BC part of the Ausoni moved toSicily .The Ausoni entered in contact with the Romans, allying against them with the
Samnites . The main Ausonian cities ofAusona , Minturnae,Vescia and Sinuessa, according toLivy ("Ab urbe condita", IX, 25), were destroyed.Archaeological findings
Cales , in the commune ofCalvi Risorta (province of Caserta ,Campania ), of which remains has been found, has been identified as an Ausonian city.In the park of
Roccamonfina remains of a polygonal line of walls belonging to the Ausonian civilization have been discovered.
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