Picens

Picens refers to the ancient Italic people who inhabited the region of Picenum in eastern Italy, roughly corresponding to modern-day Marche and Abruzzo. Their territory lay along the Adriatic coast, stretching inland to the Apennine Mountains. The Picenes were known for their distinctive culture and artistic traditions, particularly their bronzework and their unique stelae, or stone monuments, often inscribed with a script that remains partly undeciphered.

The origin of the Picenes is debated, but they are generally considered to have emerged from Iron Age settlements in the area. They were organized into various tribes and had a predominantly agricultural and pastoral economy. Their interactions with other Italic groups, such as the Samnites and Vestini, as well as with the Etruscans and later the Romans, shaped their history.

The Picenes came into significant contact with Rome during the early Roman Republic. They were involved in conflicts with Rome, notably during the Samnite Wars. Eventually, Picenum was incorporated into the Roman sphere of influence. Despite Roman conquest, the Picenes retained a degree of their cultural identity for some time. The term "Picenum" itself continued to be used as a Roman administrative division. Archaeological findings, including burial sites and artifacts, provide much of our understanding of their way of life, religious practices, and social structures.