AUGUSTA BAGIENNORUM

augusta bagiennorum, the chief town of the ligurian tribe of the bagienni, probably identical with the modern bene vagienna, on the upper course of the tanaro, about 35 m. due south of turin. the town retained its position as a tribal centre in the reorganization of augustus, whose name it bears, and was erected on a systematic plan. considerable remains of public buildings, constructed in concrete faced with small stones with bands of brick at intervals, an amphitheatre with a major axis of 390 ft. and a minor axis of 305 ft., a theatre with a stage 133 ft. in length, and near it the foundations of what was probably a basilica, an open space (no doubt the forum), an aqueduct, baths, &c., have been discovered by recent excavations, and also one of the city gates, flanked by two towers 22 ft. sq. see g. assandria and g. vacchetta in _notizie degli scavi_ (1894), 155; (1896), 215; (1897), 441; (1898), 299; (1900), 389; (1901), 413. (t. as.)