The Cantabrian Wars (29 BC-19 BC) occurred during the Roman conquest of the ancient province of Cantabria. They were the final completion of the conquest of Hispania Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC - 10s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s Years: 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21 BC 20 BC 19 BC 18 BC 17 BC 16 BC 15 BC 14 BC... Ancient Rome was a civilization that existed in Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East between 753 BC and its downfall in AD 476. ... Capital Santander Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 15th  5 321 km²  1. ... Roman aqueduct in Segovia Hispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar) and to two provinces created there in the period of the Roman Republic: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. ...

Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC - 10s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s Years: 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21 BC 20 BC 19 BC 18 BC 17 BC 16 BC 15 BC 14 BC... Capital Santander Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 15th  5 321 km²  1. ... Roman aqueduct in Segovia Hispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar) and to two provinces created there in the period of the Roman Republic: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. ... Cantabri was an ancient tribe which inhabited the north coast of Spain near Santander and Bilbao and the mountains behind a district hence known as Cantabria. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine Empire. ... Corocotta was a Cantabri leader during the 1st century BC. His great acheivement was the union of the disperse Cantabri clans in an alliance against the invading Roman armies, to the great exasperation of the powerful empire. ... Bust of Augustus Caesar For the honorific title see Augustus (honorific) Caesar Augustus (Latin:IMP·CAESAR·DIVI·F·AVGVSTVS) ¹ (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), known to modern historians as Octavian for the period of his life prior to 27 BC, is considered the first and one of... Marcus Agrippa Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa (63 BC-12 BC) was a Roman statesman and general. ...

Antecedents

The first appearances of the Cantabri on the historical scene were in the context of earlier wars in Iberia, where they served as mercenaries on various sides. In this way, in the years preceding the wars in Cantabria and Astures, the Roman military became familiar with the warlike characteristics of the peoples of northern Hispania. We have accounts, for instance, of Cantabrians in the army of Hannibal during the Second Punic War. Additionally, there is evidence that they fought alongside the Vacceos in 151 BC, and helped break the Roman siege of Numantia. It's also believed that there were Cantabrian troops present in the Sertorian Wars. According to Julis Caesar's own testimony, there were Cantabrians at the battle of Lerida in 49 BC. Cantabri was an ancient tribe which inhabited the north coast of Spain near Santander and Bilbao and the mountains behind a district hence known as Cantabria. ... topographic map of the Iberian Peninsula The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe. ... Mercenary (disambiguation). ... ASTUR or ASTURES is a region of Northern Spain and also referes to the original inhabitants of this region. ... Hannibals feat in crossing the Alps with war elephants passed into European legend: a fresco detail, 1510, Capitoline Museum, Rome Hannibal (from Punic, literally Baal is merciful to me, 247 BC – 182 BC) was a politician, statesman and considered one of the greatest military commanders of ancient Carthage, best... The Second Punic War was fought between Carthage and Rome from 218 to 202 BC. It was the second of three major wars fought between the former Phoenician colony of Carthage, and the Roman Republic, then still confined to the Italian Peninsula. ... The Vacceos were an ancient tribe who settled in the Meseta of northern Spain. ... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 200s BC 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC - 150s BC - 140s BC 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC Years: 156 BC 155 BC 154 BC 153 BC 152 BC - 151 BC - 150 BC 149 BC... For the Boston area punk band see Siege (band). ... Numantia was a town in Hispania (modern-day Spain), which for a long time resisted conquest by Romans. ... Quintus Sertorius (died 72 BC), Roman statesman and general. ... La Seu Vella, the Romanesque-Gothic Cathedral of Lleida Lleida (Catalan: Lleida, Spanish: Lérida) is a city in the west of Catalonia, Spain. ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 90s BC 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC - 40s BC - 30s BC 20s BC 10s BC 0s BC 0s Years: 54 BC 53 BC 52 BC 51 BC 50 BC 49 BC 48 BC 47 BC 46 BC...

With all these antecedants, the Cantabrians began to be known throughout the Roman Empire. Roman troops even lost one of their standards to them, something inexplicable and humiliating in those days. Such were the disasters and the embarrassments that, although the Roman historians justified the campaigns as retribution for Cantabrian incursions on the Roman-controlled Meseta Central, there must have been a certain lust after Austurian gold and Cantabrian iron as well. Finally, in 26 BC, the emperor himself, Caesar Augustus, went to Hispania, establishing his base in Segisama (Burgos) The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine Empire. ... Topographic map of Spain. ... Capital Oviedo Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 10th  10 604 km²  2,1% Population  â€“ Total (2003)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked 12th  1 056 789  2,5%  99,65/km² Demonym  â€“ English  â€“ Asturian  â€“ Spanish  Asturian  asturianu/a,  asturiano/a Statute of Autonomy January 11, 1982 Parliamentary representation  â€“ Congress seats  â€“ Senate seats... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21... Bust of Augustus Caesar For the honorific title see Augustus (honorific) Caesar Augustus (Latin:IMP·CAESAR·DIVI·F·AVGVSTVS) ¹ (23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14), known to modern historians as Octavian for the period of his life prior to 27 BC, is considered the first and one of... Roman aqueduct in Segovia Hispania was the name given by the Romans to the whole of the Iberian Peninsula (modern Portugal, Spain, Andorra and Gibraltar) and to two provinces created there in the period of the Roman Republic: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. ... Burgos coat of arms A city of northernwestern Spain, at the edge of the central plateau, Burgos has 166,000 inhabitants in the city proper and another 10,000 in its suburbs. ...

Armies and Strategies

Roman Cantabria during the Cantabrian Wars. The map shows the borders of the ancient province in relation to today's Cantabria, along with the tribes that lived there, the neighboring peoples, towns and geographical features, accoding to classical sources.

According to the Roman historian Dio Cassius, the tactics of the Cantabri and Astures were of guerilla warfare, avoiding direct attacks on the roman forces because of their inferior numbers. Their better knowledge of the difficult and mountainous terrain allowed them to conduct quick surprise strikes with ranged weapons, with ambushes followed by quick retreats causing great damage to the Roman columns and supply lines. Image File history File links Cantabros. ... Image File history File links Cantabros. ... Capital Santander Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 15th  5 321 km²  1. ... Dio Cassius Cocceianus (155–after 229), known in English as Dio Cassius or Cassius Dio, was a noted Roman historian and public servant. ... ASTUR or ASTURES is a region of Northern Spain and also referes to the original inhabitants of this region. ... Guerrilla (also called a partisan) is a term borrowed from Spanish (from guerra meaning war) used to describe small combat groups. ... A ranged weapon is any weapon that launches a projectile or that is a projectile itself. ...

According to what remains from representations on coins and steles, the Cantabri were well skilled in light arms. This explains what Lucan means when he says: Cantaber exiguis et longis Teutonus armis (The Cantabrian with his small arms and the Teuton with his long ones). The went equipped with small swords, daggers, small spears or javelins, lances, round or oval shields of wood, and leather chest protection. They also used a weapon like the Iberian falcata, and the bipinnis, a type of double-headed axe particular to the peoples of Northern Hispania. There is no proof of their use of archery or slings, although it is quite probable that they knew and used them. Marcus Annaeus Lucanus (November 3, AD 39-April 30, 65), better known in English as Lucan, was a Roman poet, and is one of the outstanding figures of the Silver Latin period. ... Swiss longsword, 15th or 16th century A sword (from Old English sweord; akin to Old High German swerd, lit. ... A dagger (from Vulgar Latin: daca - a Dacian knife) is a blade weapon (essentially a double-edged knife) used for stabbing, thrusting or as a secondary defense weapon in close combat. ... Hunting spear and knife, from Mesa Verde National Park. ... The javelin throw is an athletics (track and field) throwing event where the object to be thrown is the javelin, a spear-like object made of metal and fibreglass. ... This article is about the weapon. ... This article is about the handheld defensive device. ... A falcata is a type of sword typical of Ancient Spain, similar to the Greek kopis. ... Archers in Competition Archery is the practice of using a bow to shoot arrows. ... The word sling may refer to one of the following: A sling (weapon) is a device used to hurl projectiles A sling is one of any sort of mixed alcoholic drink, also known as a cocktail. ...

The Cantabri were able at the time to ride horses, as reflected in the fact that some of their calvalry tactics would be used by the Roman army. Examples include the 'circulus cantábricus', which was a formation of calvary in a semicircle, and the 'cantabricus impetus', a massive frontal attack against the enemy lines with the goal of breaching them, as described by Flavius Arrianus Lucius Flavius Arrianus Xenophon (c92-c175), known in English as Arrian, was a Roman historian. ...

The quality of the Cantabrian enemy was such that it obliged Augustus to deploy a number of legions in the conflict: Augustus (plural Augusti) is Latin for majestic or venerable. The greek equivalent is sebastos, or a mere grecization (by changing of the ending) augustos. ...

• Legio I Augusta
• Legio II Augusta
• Legio IV Macedonica
• Legio V Alaudae (operated in Asturias)
• Legio VI Victrix (operated in Asturias)
• Legio IX Hispana
• Legio X Gemina (operated in Asturias)
• Legio XX Valeria Victrix

to which he added various auxilery troops; Legio I Germanica, the German legion, was a Roman legion, levied in 48 BC by Julius Caesar to fight for him in the civil war against Pompey. ... Legio II Augusta was a Roman legion, levied by Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus in 43 BC, and still operative in Britannia in 4th century. ... Legio IV Macedonica, meaning from Macedonia, was a Roman legion levied by Julius Caesar in 48 BC with Italian legionaries. ... Legio V Alaudae, the larks, sometimes known as Gallica, was levied by Julius Caesar in 52 BC from native Gauls. ... Capital Oviedo Area  â€“ Total  â€“ % of Spain Ranked 10th  10 604 km²  2,1% Population  â€“ Total (2003)  â€“ % of Spain  â€“ Density Ranked 12th  1 056 789  2,5%  99,65/km² Demonym  â€“ English  â€“ Asturian  â€“ Spanish  Asturian  asturianu/a,  asturiano/a Statute of Autonomy January 11, 1982 Parliamentary representation  â€“ Congress seats  â€“ Senate seats... Legio VI Victrix (victorious legion) was founded by Octavian in 41 BC. It was a copy of Legio VI Ferrata and perhaps held veterans of that legion, and some soldiers kept to the traditions of the Caesarian legion. ... Legio IX Hispana was a Roman fucking legion probably levied by Julius sucking Caesar before 58 BC, for his Gallic asshole wars. ... Legio X Gemina, the twin legion, was levied by Julius Caesar on 58 BC, for his invasion of Gaul. ... Legio XX Valeria Victrix was a Roman legion, probably raised by Augustus sometime after 31 BC. It served in Spain, Illyricum, and Germany before participating in the invasion of Britain in 43 AD, where it remained and was active until at least the beginning of the 4th century. ...

• Ala II Gallorum,
• Cohors II Gallorum,
• Ala II Thracum Uictrix Ciuium Romanorum,
• Cohors IV Thracum Aequitata,
• Ala Parthorum
• Ala Augusta

The Roman navy also participated, arriving at the Cantabrian coast after being sent from Gallia Aquitania. It was an important determinate of the conflict's resolution, since it completed the encirclement of the Cantabri begun by the deployed ground troops. It's calculated that, in total, the Roman Army deployed 70,000 men, although these calculations vary amoungst authors, due to the fact that they used a 5,000 men per legion base. In reality, the figure should surpass 80,000 men counting auxileries since, through the reforms of Cayo Mario, the legion had more than 6,000 soldiers. However, in Augustus' time, although a legion was officially composed of 6,200 men, for various reasons the number usually oscilated between 5,000 and 8,000. The Roman Navy (Latin: Classis) operated between the First Punic war and the end of the Western Roman Empire. ... Gallia Aquitania, a province of The Roman Empire Gallia Aquitania, in ancient geography, was a province of the Roman Empire, located in present-day southwest France and bordered by the provinces of Gallia Lugdunensis, Gallia Narbonensis, and Hispania Tarraconensis. ... Soldiers of the Roman Army (on manoeuvres in Nashville, Tennessee) Rome was a militarized state whose history was often closely entwined with its military history over the 1228 years that the Roman state is traditionally said to have existed. ... Augustus (plural Augusti) is Latin for majestic or venerable. The greek equivalent is sebastos, or a mere grecization (by changing of the ending) augustos. ...

In 25 BC, Augustus gave to the Astures Brigantum, the camp of Augustan Asturica, as a prize for their help. Additionally he shared out land in the plains to the allies. However, the Astures later joined with the Cantabri for the common defense. The emperor Augustus, a year before his arrival, had to retire to Tarragona, presumably because of sickness. The conflict, however, lasted more than 10 years (it serves as a reference that the Roman Empire conquered all of Gallaecia in less than seven years) and it was, besides the campaign against the Illyrians from 35 BC to 33 BC, the only directed personally by Augutus against barbarian groups. Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC - 20s BC - 10s BC 0s 10s 20s 30s Years: 30 BC 29 BC 28 BC 27 BC 26 BC 25 BC 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21 BC 20... Augustus (plural Augusti) is Latin for majestic or venerable. The greek equivalent is sebastos, or a mere grecization (by changing of the ending) augustos. ... ASTUR or ASTURES is a region of Northern Spain and also referes to the original inhabitants of this region. ... A picture from the air Tarragona Ampitheatre Tarragona is a city located in the south of Catalonia, Spain, by the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine Empire. ... Gallaecia or Callaecia (from Gaulish *gal-laikos smoke?-hero/warrior) was the name of a Roman province that comprised a territory in the north-west of Hispania (approximately the current Galicia of Spain and the north of Portugal). ... This article is about an ancient civilization in southeastern Europe; see also Illyria (software), Illyria (character in the TV series Angel). ... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 40 BC 39 BC 38 BC 37 BC 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 80s BC 70s BC 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC - 30s BC - 20s BC 10s BC 0s 10s 20s Years: 38 BC 37 BC 36 BC 35 BC 34 BC 33 BC 32 BC 31 BC 30 BC 29 BC...

The End of the Conflict

Lábaro cántabro. Standard used by the Cantabrian forces to send orders or signal to troops during battle and which the Romans would adopt as their own.

Different from similar conflicts, the Roman Empire chose not to take prisoners, which suposes the elimination of Cantabri of military age. Moreover, there was a tradition among the Cantabri soldiers to commit suicide rather than be taken into slavery. They did this by sword, by fire, or, primarily, through poisoning themselves with potions made for the purpose. According to Silius Italicus they used a conconction made from the seeds of the yew tree, a plant with mythic significance for the Celts. Strabo said that they belittled death and pain, to the point of singing hymns of victory while being crucified. For them, accoding to Strabo, to die as soldiers and free men was a victory. Image File history File links Labaro. ... The Roman Empire is the term conventionally used to describe the Ancient Roman polity in the centuries following its reorganization under the leadership of Octavian (better known as Caesar Augustus), until its radical reformation in what was later to be known as the Byzantine Empire. ... Silius Italicus, in full Titus Catius Silius Italicus (AD 25 or 26 - 101), was a Latin epic poet. ... Binomial name Taxus baccata L. Taxus baccata is a conifer native to western, central and southern Europe, northwest Africa, northern Iran and southwest Asia. ... A Celtic cross. ... Strabo (squinty) was a term employed by the Romans for anyone whose eyes were distorted or deformed. ... Crucifixion is an ancient method of execution, where the victim was tied or nailed to a large wooden cross (Latin: crux) and left to hang there until dead. ...

The major fighting was completed in 19 BC, although there were minor rebellions until 16 BC. Rome, as was their practise with other territories, began to impose their reforms. They did not have to much success due to the strong character of the Cantabri people. Despite being massacred, their resistance was such that the Romans had to station two legions (X Gemina and IV Macedonica) there for seventy more years. Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC - 10s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s Years: 24 BC 23 BC 22 BC 21 BC 20 BC 19 BC 18 BC 17 BC 16 BC 15 BC 14 BC... Centuries: 2nd century BC - 1st century BC - 1st century Decades: 60s BC 50s BC 40s BC 30s BC 20s BC - 10s BC - 0s 10s 20s 30s 40s Years: 21 BC 20 BC 19 BC 18 BC 17 BC 16 BC 15 BC 14 BC 13 BC 12 BC 11 BC... City motto: Senatus Populusque Romanus – SPQR (The Senate and the People of Rome) Founded 21 April 753 BC mythical, 1st millennium BC Region Latium Mayor Walter Veltroni (Left-Wing Democrats) Area  - City Proper  1290 km² Population  - City (2004)  - Metropolitan  - Density (city proper) 2,546,807 almost 4,000,000... Legio X Gemina, the twin legion, was levied by Julius Caesar on 58 BC, for his invasion of Gaul. ... Legio IV Macedonica, meaning from Macedonia, was a Roman legion levied by Julius Caesar in 48 BC with Italian legionaries. ...

Through the Cantabrian War and the surrender of the Cantabri to Rome, the Roman legions adopted from them the solar symbol of twin croses and lunar symbols, such as the Cantabri lábaro pictured. They would still be carrying this standard 300 years later. The Roman army would also copy from the Cantabri the calvalry tactics circulus cantábricus and cantabricus impetus as already mentioned.

Bibliography

• Los Cántabros antes de Roma, 2ª edición: Dr. Eduardo Peralta Labrador, Real Academia de la Historia. (2003)
• Las Guerras Cántabras: Angel Ocejo Herrero y vv.aa.
• Estelas Cántabras: Símbolos de un pueblo: Juan Carlos Cabria Gutiérrez, editorial Brenes XXI.
• Onomástica de Cantabria - Los Nombres de Persona Cántabros: Jesús J. Maroñas.

External links

(All of the following in Spanish)

• The Cantabrian War Association
• The Cantabri
• The Cantabrian Wars in Celtiberia.net
• History of the Cantabrian Wars in Celtiberia.net
• The formidible Cantabri soldiers.