The Celtiberian confederacy was a tribal federation formed around the mid-3rd century BC, by the
Arevaci
The Arevaci or Aravaci (''Arevakos'', ''Arvatkos'' or ''Areukas'' in the Greek language, Greek sourcesPtolemy, ''Geographiké Hyphegésis'', II, 6, 55.), were a Celts, CelticCremin, ''The Celts in Europe'' (1992), p. 57. people who settled in the ...
,
Lusones
The Lusones ( Greek: ''Lousones'') were an ancient Celtiberian (Pre- Roman) people of the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman Hispania), who lived in the high Tajuña River valley, northeast of Guadalajara. They were eliminated by the Romans as a sign ...
,
Belli
The Belli, also designated Beli or Belaiscos, were an ancient pre-Roman CelticCremin, ''The Celts in Europe'' (1992), p. 57. Celtiberian people who lived in the modern Spanish province of Zaragoza from the 3rd Century BC.
Origins
Apparently ...
and
Titii
The ''Titii'' (or ''Titii sodales'', later ''Titienses'', ''Sacerdotes Titiales Flaviales'') was a college ('' sodalitas'') of Roman priests.
Origins
There are two versions of how the college was established. One credits Titus Tatius with creati ...
, with the Arevacian city of
Numantia
Numantia () is an ancient Celtiberian settlement, whose remains are located on a hill known as Cerro de la Muela in the current municipality of Garray ( Soria), Spain.
Numantia is famous for its role in the Celtiberian Wars. In 153 BC, Num ...
as the confederate capital.
During the
Second Punic War
The Second Punic War (218 to 201 BC) was the second of Punic Wars, three wars fought between Ancient Carthage, Carthage and Roman Republic, Rome, the two main powers of the western Mediterranean Basin, Mediterranean in the 3rd century BC. For ...
the confederacy kept itself neutral, though Celtiberian mercenaries are mentioned fighting for both sides on a number of occasions. The first Roman incursion into the Celtiberian heartland occurred around 195 BC under
Consul
Consul (abbrev. ''cos.''; Latin plural ''consules'') was the title of one of the two chief magistrates of the Roman Republic, and subsequently also an important title under the Roman Empire. The title was used in other European city-states thro ...
Cato the Elder
Marcus Porcius Cato (, ; 234–149 BC), also known as Cato the Censor (), the Elder and the Wise, was a Roman soldier, Roman Senate, senator, and Roman historiography, historian known for his conservatism and opposition to Hellenization. He wa ...
, who attacked unsuccessfully the towns of ''Seguntia Celtiberorum'' and Numantia, where he allegedly delivered a speech to the numantines.
Aulus Gellius
Aulus Gellius (c. 125after 180 AD) was a Roman author and grammarian, who was probably born and certainly brought up in Rome. He was educated in Athens, after which he returned to Rome. He is famous for his ''Attic Nights'', a commonplace book, ...
, ''Noctes Atticae'', 16: 1, 3. the veracity of this episode is disputed, since neither Livy or any other Graeco-Roman author makes no reference to such a speech.
Upon the fall of Numantia in 134-133 BC, the Romans forcibly disbanded the Celtiberian confederacy and allowed the
Pellendones
The Pellendones, also designated Pelendones Celtiberorum and Cerindones, were an ancient pre-Roman Celtic people living on the Iberian Peninsula. From the early 4th century BC they inhabited the region near the source of the river Duero in what ...
' and
Uraci to regain their independence from the Arevaci, who were now technically submitted and absorbed into
Hispania Citerior
Hispania Citerior (English: "Hither Iberia", or "Nearer Iberia") was a Roman province in Hispania during the Roman Republic. It was on the eastern coast of Iberia down to the town of Cartago Nova, today's Cartagena in the autonomous community of ...
province.
See also
*
Celtiberian Wars
The First Celtiberian War (181–179 BC) and Second Celtiberian War (154–151 BC) were two of the three major rebellions by the Celtiberians (a loose alliance of Celtic tribes living in east central Hispania, among which we can name the Pelle ...
*
Numantine War
The Numantine WarThe term Numantine War can refer to the whole conflict lasting from 154 to 133 or to just the latter part, from 143 to 133. Thus, the two conflicts are sometimes called the Numantine Wars (plural) and subdivided into the First a ...
*
Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula
This is a list of the pre- Roman people of the Iberian Peninsula (the Roman Hispania, i.e., modern Portugal, Spain and Andorra). Some closely fit the concept of a people, ethnic group or tribe. Others are confederations or even unions of tribe ...
Notes
References
*Ángel Montenegro et alii, ''Historia de España 2 - colonizaciones y formación de los pueblos prerromanos (1200-218 a.C)'', Editorial Gredos, Madrid (1989)
*Alberto José Lorrio Alvarado, ''Los Celtíberos'', Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Murcia (1997)
*Francisco Burillo Mozota, ''Los Celtíberos, etnias y estados'', Crítica, Barcelona (1998, revised edition 2007)
*Rafael Trevino and Angus McBride, ''Rome's Enemies (4): Spanish Armies 218BC-19BC'', Men-at-Arms series 180, Osprey Publishing, London (1986)
*J. Alberto Arenas Esteban & Mª Victoria Palacios Tamayo, ''El origen del mundo celtibérico'', Excmº Ayuntamiento de Molina de Aragón (1999)
Further reading
*Aedeen Cremin, ''The Celts in Europe'', Sydney, Australia: Sydney Series in Celtic Studies 2, Centre for Celtic Studies, University of Sydney (1992) .
*Dáithí Ó hÓgáin, ''The Celts: A History'', The Collins Press, Cork (2002)
*
*John T. Koch (ed.), ''Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia'', ABC-CLIO Inc., Santa Barbara, California (2006) , 1-85109-445-8
External links
*https://www.celtiberia.net
Tribes in classical historiography
Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula
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