Middle Roman Republic,, Western Mediterranean (206-146 BC), War in Spain [4/7]: First Celtiberian War, Second Celtiberian War

First Celtiberian War (181-179 BC)

In 181 BC Publius ⁰⁹Manlius (Ulterior) spent his time assembling his forces, which were apparently scattered across the province. ¹¹Fulvius Flaccus (Citerior) (fl.184-172 BC), however, attacked a town called Urbicna, causing the Celtiberians to revolt, but Flaccus drove them off and captured the town.

The following year the Lusones, a Celtiberian tribe, tried to enter Carpetania. Flaccus checked their southward advance at Aebura (=Cuerva) and then moved northwards and captured their capital, Contrebia. In the ‘further’ province Manlius won several skirmishes with the Lusitanians.

In 180 BC the praetor ¹¹Sempronius Gracchus (Citerior) was delayed in Rome and by the time he arrived at Tarraco there was not much time left for campaigning. In 179 BC Gracchus leading an army of fourteen thousand men marched westwards capturing Carpetanian and Celtiberian cities, while the praetor ⁰⁸Postumius Albinus (Ulterior) fl.180-168 BC) went northwards defeating Vaccaei and Lusitani. 

Gracchus established agreements with the Celtiberians that included the payment of taxes to Rome, the contribution of auxiliary troops to the Roman army and the prohibition of extending fortifications; he also came to a peace agreement with the non-subject Arevaci (central-north). Although there were clashes with the Celtiberians in 175 BC, swiftly crushed by the praetor ¹⁵Claudius Cento (Citerior), and in 170 BC; followed by some fighting with the Lusitanians in 163 BC, the Roman peace lasted twenty-four years. 

Second Celtiberian (=1st Numantine) War (154-151 BC)

In 154 BC in the northeast the Belli, contrary to their agreement with ¹¹Sempronius Gracchus, constructed fortifications and attacked the territory of the Titti with the support of the Arevaci. The following year the consul ¹²Fulvius Nobilior with thirty thousand soldiers was unable to defeat the Belli and Arevaci under the command of their chief Caros, and the Arevaci moved back to their city of Numantia, which Nobilior’s army besieged during the winter. The Romans received reinforcements of eight thousand foot and five hundred horse, under the command of the consul ¹⁶Claudius Marcellus (fl.166-148 BC). Several Celtiberian cities agreed a truce and sent envoys to Rome to negotiate peace.

In 151 BC the Senate decided to continue the war and sent an army under the consul ⁰⁵Licinius Lucullus (Citerior). He arrived to discover that Marcellus had already agreed peace terms with the Celtiberians and Numantia, so Lucullus attacked the Vaccaei, concentrated in Cauca (=Coca, central-northwest). Although peace was soon agreed, Lucullus then plundered the city and massacred the inhabitants.