USELIS (mod. Usellus)  , an ancient town of Sardinia, situated in the hills to the S.E. of Oristano, 900 ft. above sea-level . A bronze tablet of A.D . 158 (a tabula patronatus, setting forth that M . Aristius Balbinus had accepted the position of patron of the town for himself and his heirs) speaks of the place as Colonia Julia Augusta Uselis . From this it would seem that it had become a colony under Augustus, were it not that Pliny (H.N. iii . 85) asserts that Turris Libisonis was the only colony in Sardinia at his time . It may be that civic rights were obtained from Augustus (Th . Mommsen in Corp . Inscr . Lat. x. p . 816) . The site of the ancient town is marked by the church of S .

Reparata, and various antiquities have been found there . The episcopal see was transferred to

Ales in the 12th ' century, though the old name is still officially used .