Turmodigi

The Turmodigi were a pre-Roman ancient probably Celtic[1] people of northern Spain who occupied the area within the Arlanzón and Arlanza river valleys in the 2nd Iron Age.

Origins

The neighbouring tribes surrounding the Turmodigi are mentioned by classic sources as being Celtic.[1] Known as 'Tormogus' in some local ephigraphic sources,[2] they are also mentioned in Roman texts under the names 'Turmogi' or 'Curgoni', and in the Greek ones as 'Murbogoioi' (Ancient Greek: Μούρβογοι).

Culture

Archeology has related them with the early Iron Age ‘Bernorio-Miraveche’ cultural group of northern Burgos and Palencia provinces. Moreover, recent studies carried out at their most famed cemetery of Miraveche and as well as other 2nd Iron Age sites in the region indicates that their culture was heavily celtiberianized, demonstrating also strong affinities with the ‘Duero Culture’ of the Vaccei. In the 2nd Century BC they established a state with Segisama, also named Segisamone or Segisamum (Sasamón – Burgos; Celtiberian mint: Sekisamos) as its capital, along with the towns of Sisaraca/Pisoraca (Herrera de Pisuerga – Palencia), Deobrigula/Teobrigula (Tardajos – Burgos), Ambisna (Pampliega?– Burgos), Bravum/Bravon (Huermeces or Ubierna, in the Santibañez valley – Burgos) and Mancellus (near Lerma, in the Arlanza river valley).

History

Initially a client tribe of the Autrigones, the Turmodigi threw off their yoke with the help of the Vaccei around the early 3rd Century BC, seizing most of the former’s lands corresponding today to the central and western Burgos province and the eastern Palencia province. Like their Autrigones’ and Vaccei neighbours, the Turmodigi retained a separated identity until the later 1st Century BC, when they were first conquered and included in Hispania Citerior by Pompey and Quintus Caecilius Metellus Pius in 73 BC. However, the Turmodigi were not subdued until 56 BC, after a joint uprising with the Vaccei and other peoples was defeated by the Praetor Metellus Nepos. Subjected to Cantabri and Astures' raids just prior to the 1st Astur-Cantabrian war, Rome founded them valuable allies to conquer these last tribes with rich metal mines, which included rich deposits of Gold – Emperor Augustus’ established its own headquarters at their capital Segisama and subsequently used Turmodigia as a springboard for the conquest of Cantabria in the incombent years.

Notes

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Strabo, Geographikon, III, 4, 12.
  2. ↑ D(is) M(anibus) / Phoebus / qui et Tormogus / Hispanus / natus Segisamoi / ne(!)...; in CIL VI, 24162.

References

See also