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O´CELUM

O´CELUM (Ὤκελον: Uxeau), a town of Cisalpine Gaul, mentioned by Caesar as the last place in that province ( “citerioris provinciae extremum,” Caes.B.G. 1.10) from whence he had to fight his way through the independent tribes which held the passes of the Alps. In Strabo's time Ocelum was the frontier town of the kingdom of Cottius towards the province of Cisalpine Gaul (Strab. iv. p.179); and it was from thence that a much frequented road led over the pass of the Mont Genévre by Scingomagus (Sezanne), Brigantium (Briançon), and Ebrodunum (Embrun), to the territory of the Vocontii. D'Anville has clearly shown that Ocelum was at Uxeau, a village in the valley of Fenestrelles, and not, as supposed by previous writers, at Oulx in the valley of the Dora. (D'Anville, Notice de la Gaule, p. 500.)

[E.H.B]

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