SEPTE´MPEDA
SEPTE´MPEDA (
Σεπτέμπεδα, Strab., Ptol: Eth.
Septempedanus:
San Severino), a town of Picenum, in the upper valley of the Potentia, 9 miles above Treia.
It is mentioned by all the geographers, and the “ager Septempedanus” is noticed in the Liber Coloniarum. (
Plin. Nat. 3.13. s. 18;
Strab. v. p.241;
Ptol. 3.1.52;
Lib. Col. p. 258.) Pliny assigns it the rank of a municipal town, and this is confirmed by inscriptions, one of which is of the age of Aurelian. (Orell.
Inscr. 1026; Gruter,
Inscr. p. 308, 3.)
It is placed by the Itinerary of Antoninus on that branch of the Flaminian Way which, quitting the main high road at Nuceria, crossed the Apennines to Prolaqueum and thence descended the valley of the Potentia by Septempeda and Treia to Auximum and Ancona. (
Itin. Ant. p. 312.)
It early became an episcopal see, and derives its modern name of
San Severino from one of its bishops who flourished in the middle ages.
It still retains its rank as an episcopal city, and is the capital of the surrounding city, though it has not more than 3000 inhabitants. (Rampoldi,
Dizion. Corogr. vol. iii. p. 837.)
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E.H.B]
