In the Middle Ages, it comprised the parishes of the deaconries of Sainte-Menehould and Possesse.
[1] Traditionally, Astenois, Dormois and Castrice, the three eastern pagi of the archdiocese of Reims were held to belong to the empire.
[2] In the eleventh century, as part of a general fragmentation of power in the region, new counties were formed which did not correspond to ancient pagi but were instead named after their main castles.
The county was produced through the division of the patrimony of Frederick II.
[1] Astenois may originally have been a small fief of the bishops of Toul.