The Numantine War^[1] (from Bellum Numantinum in Appian's Roman History) was the last conflict of the Celtiberian Wars fought by the Romans to subdue those people along the Ebro. It itself was a twenty year long conflict between the Celtiberian tribes of Hispania Citerior and the Roman government. It began in 154 BC as a revolt of the Celtiberians of Numantia on the Duero. The first phase of the war ended in 151, but, in 143, war flared up again with a new insurrection in Numantia. Roman theater at Mérida; the statues are replicas 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. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Publius Cornelius Scipio†, Titus Sempronius Longus Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus, Gaius Flaminius†, Fabius Maximus, Claudius Marcellus†, Lucius Aemilius Paullus†, Gaius Terentius Varro, Marcus Livius Salinator, Gaius Claudius Nero, Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus†, Masinissa Hannibal Barca, Hasdrubal Barca†, Mago Barca†, Hasdrubal Gisco, Maharbal, Syphax, Hanno the... The First Celtiberian War was the first of a series of three wars known as the Celtiberian Wars. ... Combatants Roman Republic Carthage Commanders Scipio Aemilianus Hasdrubal the Boetarch Strength 40,000 90,000 Casualties 17,000 62,000 The Third Punic War (149 to 146 BC) was the third and last of the Punic Wars fought between the former Phoenician colony of Carthage, and the Roman Republic. ... The Lusitanian War, called the Purinos Polemos (meaning Fiery War),[1] was a war of resistance fought between the advancing legions of the Roman Republic and the Lusitani tribes of Hispania Ulterior from 155 to 139 BC. The Lusitani revolted on two separate occassions (155 and again 146 BC) and... Quintus Sertorius (died 72 BC), Roman statesman and general. ... The Cantabrian Wars (29 BC-19 BC) occurred during the Roman conquest of the ancient province of Cantabria. ... Appian (c. ... The Roman Forum was the central area around which ancient Rome developed. ... The Ebro (Greek: Έβρος, Latin: Iberus, Spanish: Ebro, Catalan: Ebre) is Spains most voluminous and second longest river. ... During the Roman Republic, Hispania Citerior was a region of Hispania roughly located in the northeastern coast and in the Ebro valley of modern 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: 159 BC 158 BC 157 BC 156 BC 155 BC - 154 BC - 153 BC 152 BC... The Celtiberians (or Celt-Iberians) were a Celtic people living in the Iberian Peninsula, chiefly in what is now north central Spain and northern Portugal, before and during the Roman Empire. ... Numantia was incorporated into the Roman Imperial province of Hispania Tarraconensis, 120 AD Numantia was a town in Hispania (modern-day Spain), which for a long time resisted conquest by Romans. ... View of the river mouth from Portos Crystal Palace Gardens, facing West Douro (Latin Durius, Spanish Duero, Portuguese Douro) is one of the major rivers of Portugal and Spain, flowing from its source near Soria across central Spain and Portugal to its outlet at Oporto. ... 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... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 190s BC 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC - 140s BC - 130s BC 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC Years: 148 BC 147 BC 146 BC 145 BC 144 BC - 143 BC - 142 BC 141 BC...

The first war was fought contemporaneously with the Lusitanian War in Hispania Ulterior. The Lusitani were subdued by Sulpicius Galba, who betrayed their surrender and executed their leading men, and the Arevaci of Hispania Citerior continued the war and allied with the Lustiani leader Viriathus. The Lusitanian War, called the Purinos Polemos (meaning Fiery War),[1] was a war of resistance fought between the advancing legions of the Roman Republic and the Lusitani tribes of Hispania Ulterior from 155 to 139 BC. The Lusitani revolted on two separate occassions (155 and again 146 BC) and... During the Roman Republic, Hispania Ulterior was a region of Hispania roughly located in Baetica and in the Guadalquivir valley of modern Spain. ... The Lusitanians (or Lusitani in Latin) were a tribe, or various tribes, from the western Iberian peninsula (province of Lusitania), who spoke a Lusitanian language until the conquest of their territory by the Romans. ... Viriathus (known as Viriato in Portuguese and Castilian) (180 BC - 139 BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanian tribe that resisted Roman expansion into the regions of Western Iberia, where the Roman province of Lusitania would be established (in the areas comprising Portugal, south of the Douro river...

After open war was reinvigorated in 143, Rome sent a series of generals to the Iberian peninsula to deal with the Numantians. In that year, Quintus Pompeius Metellus tried and failed to take the city by siege. He made a treaty with the city granting it independence, but he in 139 he broke their accord and the city petitioned the Senate for redress. Rome ignored her pleas, but replaced Metellus with Marcus Popilius Lenatis and then with Caius Hostilius Mancinus, who assaulted the city and was repulsed several times before being ambushed and forced to accept a treaty. The Senate did not approve the treaty and replaced him as commander. In 136 and 135, more attempts were made to take Numantia, but they failed. The Iberian Peninsula, or Iberia, is located in the extreme southwest of Europe. ... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC 140s BC - 130s BC - 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC Years: 144 BC 143 BC 142 BC 141 BC 140 BC - 139 BC - 138 BC 137 BC... The Roman Senate (Latin, Senatus) was a deliberative body which was important in the government of both the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. ... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC 140s BC - 130s BC - 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC Years: 141 BC 140 BC 139 BC 138 BC 137 BC - 136 BC - 135 BC 134 BC... Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC 140s BC - 130s BC - 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC Years: 140 BC 139 BC 138 BC 137 BC 136 BC - 135 BC - 134 BC 133 BC...

In 134 BC, the Consul Scipio Aemilianus was sent to Hispania Citerior to put down the locals. He recruited 20,000 men and 40,000 allies, including Numidian cavalry under Jugurtha. Scipio built a ring of seven fortresses around Numantia itself before beginning the siege proper. Many Celtiberians committed suicide before surrendering to Rome. The great Roman victory over the Celtiberians ushered in an era of lasting peace in Hispania until the Sertorian War over half a century later. Centuries: 3rd century BC - 2nd century BC - 1st century BC Decades: 180s BC 170s BC 160s BC 150s BC 140s BC - 130s BC - 120s BC 110s BC 100s BC 90s BC 80s BC Years: 139 BC 138 BC 137 BC 136 BC 135 BC - 134 BC - 133 BC 132 BC... Consul (abbrev. ... Storybook illustration depicting Scipio as the reluctant servant of the Senate as he orchestrated the genocide of the Carthaginians. ... Numidia was an ancient African Berber kingdom and later a Roman province on the northern coast of Africa between the province of Africa (where Tunisia is now) and the province of Mauretania (which is now the western part of Algerias coastal area). ... Jugurtha, (c. ...

Notes

1. ^ The 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 and Second Numantine War. The two are also called the Second and Third Celtiberian Wars.

Sources

• Davis, Paul K. Besieged: 100 Great Sieges from Jericho to Sarajevo. Oxford University Press, 2001.
• Wintle, Justin. The Rough Guide History of Spain. Rough Guides: Spain, 2003.
• Encyclopaedia Romana: The Celtiberian War and Numantia.