In 155 BC the Lusitanian chief Punicus allied with his neighbours the Vettoni and marched south to attack the Iberians in Ulterior province. During the fighting they defeated its governor Manius Manilius (1) (fl.155-148 BC) and also his successor 04Calpurnius Piso (fl.154-148 BC), who lost six thousand men. Punicus, however, was killed during a siege.
In 153 BC the new governor of Ulterior, Mummius (1) (fl.154-142 BC), met the Lusitanians under their new leader, Caesarus, on the right (north) bank of the Tagus River. The Romans broke the Lusitanian army but when Mummius’ army pursued in a disorderly way, Caesarus rallied his men and defeated the Romans who lost about nine thousand men.
Another group of Lusitanians south of the Tagus, under the leadership of Caucaenus, invaded the Cynetes/Cunei/Cunii in the southwest and captured their city, Conistorgis, whose location is uncertain. Then, near the Pillars of Hercules (the two promontories flanking the Strait of Gibraltar), the Lusitanians crossed to ancient Mauretania (Morocco+north Algeria); but Mummius followed and defeated them with great slaughter.
In 152 BC 07Atilius Serranus (Ulterior) defeated the Lusitanians and established peace. In 151 BC they returned and inflicted a defeat on the new praetor 06Sulpicius Galba (Ulterior) (fl.151-144 BC) with the loss of seven thousand men. Galba and the consul 05Licinius Lucullus (Citerior) decided on a joint attack: Galba sailed northwards along the western coast while Lucullus marched northwards overland through Turdetania (central-SW) and Vettonia (central-west). When the Lusitanians sought to end the fighting Galba at first pretended to comply, but then sent in his soldiers to kill them all. In this and two subsequent massacres Galba slaughtered nine thousand Lusitanians and sold off twenty thousand as slaves.
By 147 BC the Lusitanians had recovered from their defeats and with a force of ten thousand warriors under Viriathus (fl.147-139 BC), a survivor of Galba’s massacre, were harassing Roman settlements. On the approach of the praetor Gaius Vetilius (Ulterior), who had more than ten thousand men, the Lusitanians fled towards Tribola, south of Urso (=Osuna) in the extreme south of the peninsula, with Vetilius in hot pursuit. When he incautiously led his cavalry through a densely wooded hillside, the Lusitanians rose up from concealment and ambushed his columns of soldiers. At least half of his men were killed, while the others fled to Carteia on the coast.
In 146 BC the praetor Gaius Plautius (2) (Ulterior) sent with ten thousand foot and thirteen hundred horse, put the Lusitanians to flight. He detached four thousand men to chase them, but Viriathus wheeled round and destroyed his pursuers then occupied a fortified position northwest of Toledo. Here, Plautius approached, was again defeated and fled southwards. In the same year Viriathus defeated 17Claudius Unimanus (Citerior), and in the following year his successor Gaius Nigidius.
In 144 BC Viriathus suffered a setback when his army was scattered at Urso by the consul 11Fabius Maximus Aemilianus (Ulterior). To relieve Roman pressure on the Lusitanians, Viriathus persuaded the Celtiberians to join his revolt. In 143 BC the Senate responded by sending the consul 03Caecilius Metellus (Citerior) to attack Celtiberia with a large army. He managed to divide the Celtiberi from the Lusitani and conquered the city of Contrebia (central-northeast).
In 142 BC a new army with elephants and cavalry was sent from Africa under the consul 12Fabius Maximus Servilianus (Ulterior). In his province he was successful against the Lusitanians, but when in 141 BC he advanced northwestwards into Lusitania he was trapped and defeated in a mountain pass near Sierra Morena, between the Guadiana and the Guadalquivir. In the same year the consul Quintus Pompeius (1) (Citerior) attacked Numantia (central-north) but his forces were routed by the city’s eight thousand defenders.
Servilianus surrendered unconditionally and negotiated a treaty with Viriathus that allowed the Lusitanians to keep the territory they already possessed and recognized Viriathus as a friend and ally of Rome. The treaty was ratified by the Senate, but they broke it soon after.
In 140 BC the consul 07Servilius Caepio (Ulterior), not recognizing the agreement, chased Viriathus towards Carpetania and then westwards to Lusitania. In 139 BC the consul 03Pompilius Laenas (Citerior) attacked Viriathus’ army from the south. Viriathus requested a peace agreement but while it was being negotiated his deputies accepted a bribe from the Romans and killed him while he slept, thus ending the war. In 138 BC 06Junius Brutus (Ulterior), (67; fl.138-113 BC) founded a Roman colony at Valentia (=Valencia, central east coast), then marched to the lands of the Callaeci (or Gallaeci) in the northwest corner of the peninsula. He fortified a coastal settlement at Olisipo (=Lisbon), established a fortified base at Vissaium (=Viseu), crossed the Douro River into Gallaeci and reached the Lima River in 137 BC. He won over many of the northern tribes by peaceful means as well as hostile.
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