Part #14 - Pre-Roman Hispania
Time Period: 3rd century BC
The Iberian penninsula at the eve of the Punic Wars was a highly diverse place with a bewildering number of different ethnic groups. I have therefore split things along the lines of major ethnic groups in order to measure up for that. Please note that in regard for localizations, this is still very vague, I'm going supplement this later however when I'm including the provinces of Roman Hispania based on Ptolemy's notes.
I) Aquitanians
The Aquitanians were the ancestors of the modern Basques, and they lived in the approximate are of the modern Basque country, as well as adjacent areas.
Aquitanian tribes (in Hispania) include:
- Autrigones (by typonomy, they were more probably Celtic)
- Caristii
- Vascones (origin of the name "Basques")
- Varduli
II) Iberians
The Iberians, who eventually gave their name to the entire penninsula, lived along the eastern coast of Hispania, approximately from Catalonia in the north towards eastern Andalusia in the south. We know a little bit about the Iberian language because the Iberians had several different scripts, which they originally had adopted from the Tartessians (though they later modified it under Greek influence). The Iberian language was a non-Indo-European language that may have had a relationship of *some* kind with Aquitanian. The Iberians were conquered by Rome during the 2nd Punic War. Another issue that should be noted is that the gentilic suffix "-tani", although heavily used in Iberian names, was not of Iberian origin. Instead, it seems to be a translation of the Iberian gentilic suffix "-sken". Where it's preserved, I therefore have added native Iberian names as they are known in Italics. It should also be noted that Iberian town names typically started with the prefix "Ili-".
Iberian Tribes:
- Ausetani (Barcelona province) -
"Ausesken"
- Bastetani or Bastuli (Granada and Almeria provinces)
- Bergistani (Lerida province)
- Cessetani (Tarragona province) -
"Kesesken"
- Ceretani (eastern Pyrenees)
- Contestani (Murcia and Alicante provinces)
- Deitani
- Edetani (Valencia)
- Ilercavones (Castellon and Teruel provinces)
- Ilergetes (Huesca province)
- Indigetes (Barcelona and Gerona provinces) -
"Indikesken"
- Laietani (Tarragona province) -
"Laiesken"
- Lacetani
- Sedetani (Zaragoza province)
- Sordones (Pyrenees-Orientales, France)
III) Lusitanians
The Lusitanians were a people (or, actually,a group of peoples) in the approximate area of central Portugal and the Spanish Extremadura (along the Tejo river). They spoke a (non-Celtic) Indo-European language that may have arrived on the Iberian penninsula in an earlier wave of migration, and may have originally lived along the entire area of the northwestern coast up to Galicia.
Lusitanians (in the narrower sense) - central and lower Tejo areas. They were engaged in a several decades long war against the Romans during the mid-2nd century BC before they were subjugated by the Romans.
Vettones - upper Tejo river area, corresponding approximately with the Spanish provinces of Caceras, Salamanca, Avila as well as western Toledo.
IV) The Celts of Hispania
Classically, the term "Celtiberians" has been used for all Celts on the Iberian penninsula, however technically, this should be only used for the Celts of 'Celtiberia' proper, that is the upper Ebro river area. This is something that is necessary to distinguish. In any case, all Hispano-Celtic dialects were apparently Q-Celtic, akin to Irish. It's unclear when exactly the Celts arrived on the Iberian penninsula, but in many areas, there's name evidence for previous peoples (both Indo-Europeans and non-Indo-Europeans) which presumably inhabited these areas before the Celts arrived. A very typical example is the way Hispano-Celtic town names are formed, typically with a non-Celtic first part and with the Celtic "-briga" attached to it.
IVa) Celtiberians
The Celtiberians, as their name suggests, were heavily Iberian-influenced (most notably they had adopted a modified variant of the Iberian scripts), which puts them into contrast with the other Hispano-Celts, which lacked a writing system. Wether they were actually Celticized Iberians, or Iberian-influenced Celts is impossible to tell, however. The Celtiberians inhabited the upper Ebro valley area and the source area of the Duero, which roughly corrsponds to the areas of western Aragon and northeastern Castille. Their principal stronghold was
Numantia, an oppidum located at 41°48'36'' N, 2°26'37'' W, which was besieged by the Romans in 134/33 BC, however it's denizens decided to commit suicide rather than surrendering to the Romans.
Celtiberian subtribes include:
Arevaci
Belli
Berones
Lusones
Pelendones
Titti
IVb) Gallaecians
The Gallaecians (also called "Callaeci" or "Kallakoi") lived in the approximate area of modern Galicia, as well as adjecent areas in northern Portugal (north of the Douro river). Gallaecia was home to a bewildering number of tribes.
Gallaecian tribes:
Albiones (compare "Albion")
Aobrigenses
Arroni
Arrotrebae or Artrabi
Baedi
Bibali
Bracari
Capori
Celtici Praestamarici
Celtici Supertamarici
Cibarci
Clinei
Coelerni
Equaesi
Grovii
Interamici
Lapatianci
Lemavi
Louguei
Luanqui
Naebisoci
Namarini
Nemetati
Nerii
Poemani
Quaquerni
Seurri
Seurbi
Tamagani
Turodi
IVc) Astures
The Astures or Asturians lived in approximately the area of modern Asturias, as well as adjacent areas in Leon, Palencia and Zamora. They were divided into two areas, the Astures Transmontani and the Astures Cismontani, which lived north and south of the central range of the Cantabrian mountains, respectively. The Astures were amongst the last inhabitants of the Iberian penninsula to be conquered by the Romans.
Astures Transmontani
Baedunenses
Brigaentini (compare with the "Brigantes" of Britain, Ireland and Vendelicia)
Cabarci
Iburri
Luggones
Paesici
Penios
Selini
Vincianes
Viromenices
Astures Cismontani
Amacori
Gigurri
Lancienses
Lougei
Orniacori
Supertii or Supertati
Susarri
Tibures
Zolae
IVd) Cantabrians
The Cantabrians lived in an area that closely corresponds with the area of modern Cantabria, as well as adjacent areas in the provinces of Burgos, Leon and Palencia. The Cantabrians were amongst the last inhabitants of the Iberian penninsula to be conquered by the Romans.
Cantabrian tribes include:
Avarigines
Blendii
Plentusii
Camarici or Tamarici
Concani (compare with the "Cancani" of Ireland)
Coniaci
Moroecani
Noegi
Orgenomesci
Salaeni
Vadienses
Vellici
Other larger Hispano-Celtic tribes:
Carpetani (Central Spain, around Toledo)
Celtici (southern Portugal) - also in Gallaecia
Oretani (Jaen, Ciudad Real and Albacete provinces)
Turboletae (Tereul Province, Spain)
Turduli (northwestern Andalusia and along the coastal plain of central Portugal)
Vaccaei (Central Duero area)
V) The (post-)Tartessian region
Unlike the previous regions which were pretty straightforward in terms of ethnic groups, this is a bit more complicated. Tartessos was a city or kingdom that existed in the southwest of the Iberian penninsula (the Algarve and western Andalusia, with the core area being around the lower Guadalqivir river) from about the late Bronze Age to about the 6th century BC. Tartessos presumably grew rich from it's position as a trade hub that had access to both the Atlantic and Mediterranean trade networks. Based off the Phoenician alphabet, the Tartessians developed
their own writing system which was the basis of the other indigenous writing systems of the penninsula. In the 6th century BC, Tartessos collapsed for unknown reasons (perhaps due to schemings by the Phoenicians), and in the following centuries the region was increasingly colonized by Celts in the north and by Phoenicians in the south.
Ethnic groups of this region include (note that this is somewhat anachronistic):
Cynetes or
Cunetes (Algarve region, 5th century BC and earlier) - ostensibly a Tartessian-speaking peoples, since in fact most Tartessian inscriptions have been found in their area. Later (1st century BC), Strabo mentions a people called "Conii" in approximately the same area, which may have been the Celticized descendants of the Cynetes.
Turdetani (lower Guadiana and Guadalqivir river areas - 3rd century BC onward) - presumably the descendants of the Tartessians. They were clients of the Carthaginians and staged a revolt against them during the 2nd Punic War. It's unclear what language they spoke as they mave been already apparently partially Celticized, Iberianized and/or Punicized even by the 3rd century BC.
Additionally, the former region of Tartessos was inhabited by Celtici, Turduli, Bastetani and Phoenicians by the 3rd century BC.
VI) Phoenician Colonies
The Phoenicians already had established themselves at the begin of the 1st millennium BC in the area of modern Andalusia.
Gadir (Cadiz) - oldest Phoenician city in Hispania.
Carthago Nova (Cartagena) - actually just "Qart Hadasht", just like the "old" Carthage, with both places being called merely "New City" in Punic.
Abdera (near modern Adra, Spain)
Ebusos (Ibizza)
Onoba (Huelva) - may have been founded ontop of a Tartessian town.
Malaka (Malaga)
VII) Greek Colonies
The Greeks, specifically Phocaeans, arrived near the begin of the 6th century BC in the northeastern areas of Hispania (in Iberian areas), and Greek culture also had a considerable influence on the Iberians, notably on arts and scripture. Greek colonies include:
- Emporion ( 42°15'30"N, 3° 4'30"E )
- Hemeroskopeion (modern Denia, Valencia)
- Rhode (Roses, Girona)
VIII) The Baleares (Or "Gymnesian Islands")
This is not directly related with the Iberian penninsula, but since the isles are part of it today politically, I included them here as well. It should be noted that in Antiquity, the Baleares were strictly speaking only Majorca and Menorca (in contrast, Ibizza and Formentera were the "Pityuses"). On these isles, the native Talayotic culture existed during the Bronze Age, which later came under Phoenician influence, who established themselves on nearby Ibizza. The Greeks called the inhabitants of these islands "Gymnetes" (Naked Ones), and in Antiquity, they were known as renowned slingers, and Balearic slingers fought as mercenaries in Carthaginian armies during the 2nd Punic War.