USELLIS
USELLIS (
Οὔσελλις, Ptol.:
Usellus), a city of Sardinia situated in the interior of the island, about 16 miles from the
Gulf of Oristano on the W. coast, and the same distance S. of Forum Trajani. Its name is not found in the Itineraries, and the only author who mentions it is Ptolemy (
3.3.2), who erroneously places it on the W. coast of the island: but the existing ruins, together with the, name of
Usellus, still borne by a village on the site, leave no doubt of its true situation.
It is about 3 miles NE. of the modern town of
Ales. Ptolemy styles it a colonia, and this is confirmed by an inscription in which it bears the title of “Colonia Julia Augusta.” It would hence appear probable that the colony must have been founded under Augustus, though Pliny tells us distinctly that Turris Libyssonis was the only colony existing in Sardinia in his time. (De la Marmora,
Voy. en Sardaigne, vol. ii. pp. 367, 466.)
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E.H.B]
