First Celtiberian War

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Conquest of Hispania
Second Punic War - First Celtiberian War – Third Punic War – Lusitanian War - Numantine War – Sertorian War – Cantabrian Wars

This article is part of the series on: Military of ancient Rome (Portal) 800 BC - AD 476
Structural history
Roman army (unit types and ranks, legions, generals)
Roman navy (fleets, admirals)
Campaign history
Lists of Wars and Battles
Decorations and Punishments
Technological history
Military engineering (castra, siege engines, arches, roads)
Personal equipment
Political history
Strategy and tactics
Infantry tactics
Frontiers and fortifications (Limes, Hadrian's Wall)

The First Celtiberian (or Spanish) War was the first of a series of three wars known as the Celtiberian Wars. It was fought between the advancing legions of the Roman Republic and the Celtiberian tribes of Hispania Citerior from 181 to 179 BC.

In 181, several tribes along the Ebro, especially the Lusones, rebelled against Roman rule. Appian cites their reason as a lack of land on which to live. They were quickly put down by the consul Quintus Fulvius Flaccus and scattered. Some fled to Complega, then a newly fortified city, from which the made demands on the Roman general, but after his approach they fled.

In 179, Flaccus was succeeded by Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus. Gracchus quickly went to the rescue of the besieged city of Caravis and then took the city of Complega. He divied up the land among the poor and signed treaties with all of the tribes. His success in establishing peace made him much admired in both Hispania and Rome, where he arrived to a triumph.

In the latter year, war also broke out in Hispania Ulterior between the Romans and the Lusitani.