Alpes Graiae et Poeninae

The Alpes Graiae et Poeninae, also known by the 2nd century AD as Alpes Atrectianae et Poeninae, was a small Alpine province of the Roman Empire created after the merging of the Alpes Poeninae (or Vallis Poenina) and the Alpes Graiae (or Alpes Atrectianae). Comprising the modern Canton of Valais (Switzerland), the Tarantaise Valley, Beaufortain, Haut-Faucigny (France) and the Aosta Valley (Italy), it was one of the three provinces straddling the Alps between modern France and Italy, along with the Alpes Maritimae and Alpes Cottiae.

The Procurator of the province resided in the capital of this province: Axima, which became Forum Claudii Ceutronum (Aime-la-Plagne), former capital of the Alpes Graiae. He was seconded by a Praefectus in Octodorum, which became Forum Claudii Vallensium (Martigny) for the Alpes Poeninae.

Name

Variants

In ancient documents, the province appears under the forms Alpes Graiae, Alpes Poeninae et Graiae (provincia Alpium Graiarum et Poeninarum), and Alpes Graiae et Poeninae. The rarer variant Alpes Atrectianae occurs in epigraphic material.

It may have been referred to as Alpes Graiae et Vallis Poenina at the time of its formation, which would represent an expanded form of Alpes Graiae et Poeninae. A Severian period inscription (193–235) attests the variant Alpium Atrectianarum et Vallis Poeninae, in which Atrectianae replaces Graiae as a local or epigraphic alternative.

The name Vallis Poenina survives in the modern toponyms Pennine Alps and Valais.

Origin

According to Livy, the name Alpes Poeninae derives from an indigenous deity named Poeninus, attested as Poininos on local inscriptions and in the cult title Jupiter Poeninus.