Esico of Ballenstedt (died around 1060)[1] is the progenitor of the House of Ascania, (i.e., the oldest known member of his dynasty).
[2] His father is sometimes assumed to have been one Adalbert of Ballenstedt, who had married Hidda, a daughter of Margrave Odo I of the Saxon Eastern March, but there is no hard evidence for this.
[3] Thereby, Esico would have been a brother of Uta von Ballenstedt, the consort of Margrave Eckard II of Meissen, and of Hazecha, abbess of Gernrode.
[7] He is assumed to have inherited large properties in the Saxon Eastern March from his maternal grandfather Margrave Odo I.
[11] When Uta and Eckard died childless in 1045 and 1046 respectively, their property was to revert to Henry III, Holy Roman Emperor, but Esico ensured that major parts of their inheritance were given to the control of the Gernrode Abby, where their sister, Hazecha, had been abbess since 1043.