Teurisci was a Dacian tribe at the time of Ptolemy (140 AD). They were originally considered a branch of the Celtic
Taurisci (
Noricum), who moved to Upper
Tisza. However, the archaeology shows that
Celts have been absorbed by Dacians, at some point
[Dacia: Landscape, Colonization and Romanization by Ioana A Oltean, , 2007, page 47]creating a Celto-Dacian cultural horizon in the upper Tisza.
Name
The name Teurisci is considered a variant of
Taurisci or Tauristae.
Distribution
Taurisci
The Celtic Taurisci were settled in the south-eastern Alps and were known from the name of
Mount Taurus. Due to iron mining, their centers (i.e. Noreia - now Newmarkt and Virunum now Magdalensburg) enjoyed great success in trade and commerce with the Balkans. The lowland Taurisci gradually grew in power and became largely separate from their mountain relatives. Therefore, the inhabitants of this eastern area became known collectively – from the place name Noreia – as Norici and the territory under their control as Noricum.
Teurisci
Teurisci, attested by Ptolemy in Dacia, were originally a group of the Celtic Taurisci from the Austrian Alps established in North-Western Dacia at the end of Iron Age.
Historical evidence
In 60 BC, when the king of the Dacians
Burebista succeeded in uniting his own people with their kindred
Getae
The Getae ( ) or Gets ( ; grc, Γέται, singular ) were a Thracian-related tribe that once inhabited the regions to either side of the Lower Danube, in what is today northern Bulgaria and southern Romania. Both the singular form ''Get'' an ...
and
Burs into one kingdom he began to put pressure on the Celtic tribes of the Danubian Basin. He advanced against the Taurisci and Boii, gaining his most notable success near to the river Tisza After defeating the Taurisci (Cotini) and Boii, the Dacian King Burebista forced some of them to leave southwestern Slovakia. A Celto-Dacian cultural horizon was created in the conquered territory, Dacian settlement here continued into the second decade of the new era.
Posidonius record that, at his time, Celtic (Boii, Scordisci, and Taurisci) were intermingling with Thracians on both sides of the Danube. Later,
Strabo
Strabo''Strabo'' (meaning "squinty", as in strabismus) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. The father of Pompey was called "Pompeius Strabo". A native of Sicily so clear-sighted that he could see ...
(about 20 AD), repeat this piece of information, yet he uses the variant Ligyrisci instead of the Posidinius's variant Teurisci.
According to
Ptolemy (140 AD), Teurisci of
Dacia bordered
Anarti
The Anartes (or Anarti, Anartii or Anartoi)Jan Czarnecki (1975) 120 were Celtic tribes, or, in the case of those sub-groups of Anartes which penetrated the ancient region of Dacia (roughly modern Romania), Celts culturally assimilated by the Dacian ...
of Dacia on the east. Further east of them were the Dacian Costoboci.
Archaeological evidence
About 150 BC, Celtic La Tène material disappears from Dacia. This coincides with the ancient writings which mentioned the rise of the Dacian authority. It ended the Celtic domination and it is possible Celts were thrust out of Dacia. Alternatively, some scholars have proposed that the Transylvanian Celts remained but merged into the local culture and thus ceased to be distinctive
[Koch, John T (2005). ‘’Dacians and Celts’’ in Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia, Volume 1,. ABC-CLIO. ., page 549] The Celtic groups which spread as far as Transylvania had been assimilated by the Dacians,
See also
*
List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
Notes
References
* Koch, John T (2005). ‘’Dacians and Celts’’ in Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia, Volume 1,. ABC-CLIO. ., page 549
* Mannova Elena (1963) Studia historica Slovaca Bratislava : Vydavatel̕stvo Slovenskej Akadémie
* Oltean, Ioana, (2007) Dacia: Landscape, Colonization and Romanization, Routledge,
*
External links
{{Dacia topics
Ancient tribes in Dacia
Historical Celtic peoples
Gauls