The Suessetani were a pre-Roman people of the northeast Iberian Peninsula that dwelt mainly in the plains area of the Alba (Arba) river basin (a northern tributary of the Ebro river), in today's Cinco Villas, Aragon , Zaragoza Province (westernmost Aragon region) and Bardenas Reales area (southernmost Navarra region), west of the Gallicus river (today's Gállego river ), east of the low course of the Aragon river and north of the Iberus ( Ebro ) river, in the valley plains of this same river. Their location, in relation to other tribes, was south of the Iacetani ( Aquitanian tribe), west of the Vescetani or Oscenses ( Iberian tribe) north of the Lusones and Pellendones ( Celtiberian tribes), also north of the Sedetani ( Iberian tribe), and southeast of the Vascones ( Aquitanian tribe or people).
43-506: Corbio was the capital of the Suessetani and an important fortified city, yet unlocated (maybe between Sangüesa and Sos del Rey Católico ). There is yet no definitive conclusion about their ethnic affiliation. They could have been an Iberian or an Aquitanian tribe, but because of their ethnic name, and place and river names ( toponyms and hydronyms ), the indo-European , pre-Celtic indo-European and Celtic affiliation possibility
86-578: A Celtic one. Titus Livius wrote about Marcus Porcius Cato 's campaigns in Hispania . In his work he reports that the Suessetani were enemies of the Iacetani , because, on other things, Iacetani sacked the fields and crops of the Suessetani. Marcus Porcius Cato ( Cato the Elder ), knowing the bad relations between Suessetani and Iacetani, took this to Roman advantage and managed to gain their support for
129-403: A "horse taming god" or "lord of the horses" ( despotes hippon ). The female goddess Ataegina is also widely attested in the inscriptions. Iberians performed their rites in the open and also maintained sanctuaries in holy places like groves, springs and caves. Archaeological evidence suggests the existence of a priestly class and Silius Italicus mentions priests in the region of Tartessos at
172-592: A "senate" by the ancient sources, met in a council of nobles. Kings or chieftains would maintain their forces through a system of obligation or vassalage that the Romans termed "fides". The Iberians adopted wine and olives from the Greeks. Horse breeding was particularly important to the Iberians and their nobility. Mining was also very important for their economy, especially the silver mines near Gader and Cartago Nova,
215-484: A Roman army on the orders of the governor of Hispania Citerior , Aulus Terentius Varro , in the year 184 BCE. Corbio , the capital, had to be taken using siege weapons and was destroyed after that siege . The Vascones , that dwelt to the northwest of the Suessetani, in alliance with the Romans and with Roman incentive, took advantage of the Suessetani defeat, they took Suessetani lands and assimilated most of them in
258-763: A different tribe or wrongly classified as a tribe of the Vascones or the Iberians . FATÁS, Guillermo. Sobre Suessetanos Y Sedetanos. Archivo Español de Arqueología 44.109-125. FATÁS, Guillermo. Los Pirineos meridionales y la conquista romana (289-316) in Jürgen Untermann y Francisco Villar (Eds.). (1993). Lengua y Cultura en la Hispania Prerromana . Salamanca: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. ISBN 84-7481-736-6 SAYAS, J.J. “El poblamiento romano en el área de los vascones”, Veleia 1, 1984, 289-310. Sang%C3%BCesa Sangüesa (Basque: Zangoza )
301-407: A temple of Melqart . Evidence from pottery reveals some information about Iberian myth and ritual. Common themes are a celebratory ritual dance described by Strabo [c.f. 3.3.7.] and seen in a relief from Fuerte del Rey known as the "Bastetania dance" and the confrontation between the deceased and a wolf figure. Ritual sacrifice of animals was also common. In Iberian eschatology , "death was seen as
344-639: Is a city in Navarre , Spain , 44.5 kilometers from Pamplona . It lies close to the River Aragon and in 2007 had a population of 5,128. It is located on the Way of Saint James . It has been an important stopping point for pilgrims since the Middle Ages and has preserved its medieval character. Sangüesa-Zangoza is the historic capital of one of the six merindades into which the old Kingdom of Navarre
387-399: Is evident in their sculptures. The man-bull Bicha of Balazote (possibly a fertility deity) and various depictions of sphinxes and lions bear a resemblance to eastern Mediterranean mythological creatures. The Lady of Elche and Lady of Guardamar show clear Hellenistic influence. Phoenician and Greek deities like Tanit , Baal , Melkart , Artemis , Demeter and Asclepius were known in
430-593: Is more likely. They may have been a Celtic tribe ( Belgic ), related to the Suessiones that dwelt in Gallia Belgica , northern Gallia ( Gaul ) in today's Soissons area. Suessiones tribe, that dwelt in the Marne river territory, had a city called Corbio (today's Corbeil ), like the Suessetani. So there is an association between the root words suess - and corb - in these two tribes ( Corbeil comes from
473-733: The Greeks . This pre-Indo-European cultural group spoke the Iberian language from the 7th to at least the 1st century BCE. The rest of the peninsula, in the northern, central, and northwestern areas, was inhabited by Vascones , Celts or Celtiberians groups and the possibly Pre-Celtic or Proto-Celtic Indo-European Lusitanians , Vettones , and Turdetani . Starting in the 5th century BCE, Iberian soldiers were frequently deployed in battles in Italy, Greece and especially Sicily due to their military qualities. The Iberian culture developed from
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#1732775749555516-844: The Iberian Peninsula , that corresponds to the northwestern shores of the Mediterranean Sea (see the map), roughly in today's Catalonia , Eastern, Northeastern and Northern Aragon , Valencian Community , Murcia Region , Eastern Andalucia , and the Balearic Islands (in Spain ), and also in today's Roussillon and parts of Languedoc (in France ). The peninsula has this name because ancient Greeks , Romans and other mediterranean peoples first contacted with peoples (tribes or tribal confederacies) that were Iberians in
559-694: The Punic wars was made up of Iberians and Celtiberians . Iberian warfare was endemic and based on intertribal raiding and pillaging. In set piece battle, Iberians were known to regularly charge and retreat, throwing javelins and shouting at their opponents without actually committing to full contact combat. This sort of fighting was termed concursare by the Romans. The Iberians were particularly fond of ambushes and guerrilla tactics . Ancient sources mention two major types of Iberian infantry, scutati and caetrati . Scutati were heavily armored and carried large Italic style scutum shields . The caetrati carried
602-522: The occlusives and signs with monophonemic value for the rest of the consonants and vowels . As writing systems , they are neither alphabets nor syllabaries , but mixed scripts that normally are identified as semi-syllabaries . There is no agreement between researchers concerning the origin of the Iberian writing systems: for some they are only linked to the Phoenician alphabet while for others
645-488: The oppidum or fortified Iberian town became the centre of reference in the landscape and the political space." The settlement of Castellet de Banyoles in Tivissa was one of the most important ancient Iberian settlements in the north eastern part of the Iberian peninsula that was discovered in 1912. Also, the 'Treasure of Tivissa', a unique collection of silver Iberian votive offerings was found here in 1927. Lucentum
688-499: The 6th century BCE, and perhaps as early as the fifth to the third millennium BCE in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian peninsula. The Iberians lived in villages and oppida (fortified settlements) and their communities were based on a tribal organization. The Iberians in the Spanish Levant were more urbanized than their neighbors in the central and northwestern regions of the Iberian peninsula . The peoples in
731-596: The H. Citerior province. After securing these regions, Rome invaded and conquered Lusitania and Celtiberia . The Romans fought a long and drawn out campaign for the conquest of Lusitania. Wars and campaigns in the northern regions of the Iberian peninsula would continue until 16 BCE, when the final rebellions of the Cantabrian Wars were defeated. Iberian society was divided into different classes, including kings or chieftains (Latin: "regulus"), nobles, priests, artisans and slaves. Iberian aristocracy, often called
774-641: The Iberian Ilergetes tribe north of the Ebro who were allied with Carthage, conquered the Iberian oppidum of Tarraco and defeated the Carthaginian fleet. After the arrival of Publius Scipio, Tarraco was fortified and, by 211 BCE, the Scipio brothers had overrun the Carthaginian and allied forces south of the Ebro. However, during this campaign, Publius Scipio was killed in battle and Gnaeus died in
817-624: The Iberians in the 6th century BCE. They defined Iberians as non-Celtic peoples south of the Ebro river (Iber). The Greeks also dubbed as "Iberians" another people in the Caucasus region, currently known as Caucasian Iberians . It is thought that there is no connection between the two peoples. The Iberians traded extensively with other Mediterranean cultures. Iberian pottery and metalwork has been found in France , Italy , and North Africa . The Iberians had extensive contact with Greek colonists in
860-621: The Iberians sent emissaries to Alexander the Great in 324 BCE, along with other embassies of Carthaginians , Italics and Gauls , to request his friendship. After the First Punic war , the massive war debt suffered by Carthage led them to attempt to expand their control over the Iberian peninsula. Hamilcar Barca began this conquest from his base at Cádiz by conquering the Tartessian Guadalquivir river region, which
903-806: The Iberians south of the Ebro. In his first campaign, Hannibal defeated the Olcades , the Vaccaei and the Carpetani expanding his control over the river Tagus region. Hannibal then laid siege to Roman ally of Saguntum and this led to the beginning of the Second Punic War . The Iberian theater was a key battleground during this war and many Iberian and Celtiberian warriors fought for both Rome and Carthage, though most tribes sided with Carthage. Rome sent Gnaeus and Publius Cornelius Scipio to conquer Iberia from Carthage. Gnaeus subsequently defeated
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#1732775749555946-544: The Levantine group displays the most Greek influence. Iberian pottery and painting was also distinct and widespread throughout the region. A distinct feature of the culture, the pottery was primarily decorated with geometric forms in red but in some areas (from Murcia to the south of Catalonia ) it also included figurative images. The Iberian polytheistic religion was influenced by the Greek and Phoenician practices, as it
989-454: The Roman conquest of the Iacetani territory and their capital, Iaca ( Jaca ), in 195 BCE. So the Suessetani, at the beginning of the 2nd Century BCE, were Roman allies, but some years after they rebelled and resisted against Roman expansion , an action that had terrible consequences for the Suessetani as a tribe with his own identity. Because of this, their territory and capital was taken by
1032-538: The caetra, a small Iberian buckler . Iberian armaments included the famed Gladius Hispaniensis , a curved sword called the falcata , straight swords, spears, javelins and an all iron spear called the Soliferrum . Iberian horsemen were a key element of Iberian forces as well as Carthaginian armies. Spain was rich with excellent wild horses and Iberian cavalry was some of the best in the ancient Mediterranean. Iberians dwelt along eastern and southern coastal regions of
1075-477: The central and northwest regions were mostly speakers of Celtic dialects, semi-pastoral and lived in scattered villages, though they also had a few fortified towns like Numantia . They had a knowledge of writing , metalworking , including bronze , and agricultural techniques. In the centuries preceding Carthaginian and Roman conquest, Iberian settlements grew in social complexity , exhibiting evidence of social stratification and urbanization . This process
1118-508: The colonies of Emporion , Rhode , and Hemeroskopeion . The Iberians may have adopted some of the Greeks ' artistic techniques. Statues such as the Lady of Baza and the Lady of Elx are thought to have been made by Iberians relatively well acquainted with Greek art . Thucydides stated that one of the three original tribes of Sicily , the Sicani , were of Iberian origin, though "Iberian" at
1161-463: The eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula , at least from the 6th century BCE. They are described in Greek and Roman sources (among others, by Hecataeus of Miletus , Avienius , Herodotus and Strabo ). Roman sources also use the term Hispani to refer to the Iberians. The term Iberian , as used by the ancient authors, had two distinct meanings. One, more general, referred to all
1204-474: The entire south of the peninsula. After this victory, the Ilergetes and other Iberian tribes revolted and it was only after this revolt that the Romans conquered the rest of the Carthaginian territories in southern Spain. After the Carthaginian defeat, the Iberian territories were divided into two major provinces, Hispania Ulterior and Hispania Citerior . In 197 BCE, the Iberian tribes revolted once again in
1247-566: The ethnic and linguistic sense, although the majority of the Iberian Peninsula 's peoples, that dwelt in the Northern, Central and Western regions (the majority of the peninsula's area), were not Iberians themselves in the ethnic and linguistic sense (they could only be considered Iberians in the geographical sense, i.e. they dwelt in the Iberian Peninsula). The Iberian tribes or tribal confederacies were: The Iberian language, like
1290-705: The galo-Celtic Corbio ialo – Corbius field ). It is not known when did they arrived in the region that they dwelt but some estimate that they arrived around 600 BCE, or maybe earlier, along with a belgic Celtic migration. The place names ( toponyms ) and river names ( hydronyms ) of their territory are clearly indo-European, probably Celtic or pre-Celtic indo-European. The place names are for example: Corbio , Viridunum ( Berdún ), Gordunum ( Gordún ), Navardunum ( Navardún ), Sekia/Segia , Setia , Gallicum , Forum Gallorum . The river names are Alba (today's Arba river), Gallicus river ( Gállego ). This seems to indicate that they spoke an indo-European language , maybe
1333-491: The iron mines in the Ebro valley, as well as the exploitation of tin and copper deposits. They produced fine metalwork and high quality iron weapons such as the falcata . The Iberians produced sculpture in stone and bronze, most of which was much influenced by the Greeks and Phoenicians, and other cultures such as Assyrian, Hittite and Egyptian influences. The styles of Iberian sculpture are divided geographically into Levantine, Central, Southern, and Western groups, of which
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1376-454: The middle and the end of the 2nd century BCE. The Suessetani ceased to exist as a different tribe with his own identity. When later authors such as Strabo and Ptolemy wrote their works (in the 1st century BCE and 1st century CE), the Suessetani had already been assimilated by the Vascones , as they don't mention them. They describe the Suessetani former territory as a vasconian one. Partially because of this, Suessetani are sometimes ignored as
1419-509: The origin of the Iberian language. According to the Catalan theory, the Iberian language originated in northern Catalonia , from where it expanded north and south. The Iberians use three different scripts to represent the Iberian language . Northeastern Iberian script and southeastern Iberian script share a common distinctive typological characteristic, also present in other paleohispanic scripts : they use signs with syllabic value for
1462-461: The populations of the Iberian peninsula without regard to ethnic differences ( Pre-Indo-European , Celts and non-Celtic Indo-Europeans ). The other, more restricted ethnic sense and the one dealt with in this article, refers to the people living in the eastern and southern coasts of the Iberian Peninsula , which by the 6th century BCE had absorbed cultural influences from the Phoenicians and
1505-544: The region and worshiped. Currently few native Iberian gods are known, though the oracular healing deity "Betatun" is known from a Latin inscription at Fuertes del Rey. There was clearly an important female deity associated with the earth and regeneration as depicted by the Lady of Baza and linked with birds, flowers and wheat. The horse was also an important religious figure and an important sanctuary dedicated to Horses has been found in Mula ( Murcia ). There are many depictions of
1548-645: The rest of the paleohispanic languages , became extinct by the 1st to 2nd centuries AD, after being gradually replaced by Latin . The Iberian language remains an unclassified non-Indo European language. A 1978 study claimed many similarities between Iberian and the Messapic language . Iberian languages also share some elements with the Basque language . Links have also been found with the Etruscan language and Minoan Linear A . There are different theories about
1591-606: The retreat. The tide turned with the arrival of Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus in 210 BCE. Scipio attacked and conquered Carthago Nova and defeated the army of Hasdrubal Barca at the Battle of Baecula (209–208). The war dragged on with Carthage sending more reinforcements until the Battle of Ilipa (modern Alcalá del Río in Sevilla province ), which was a decisive victory for Publius Scipio Africanus. The Carthaginians retreated to Gades , and Publius Scipio gained control over
1634-568: The starting point for a journey symbolised by a crossing of the sea, the land or even the sky. Supernatural and mythical beings, such as the Sphinx or the wolf, and sometimes Divinity itself, accompanied and guided the deceased on this journey". The Iberians incinerated their dead and placed their ashes in ceremonial urns, the remains were then placed in stone tombs. Iberian soldiers were widely employed by Carthage and Rome as mercenaries and auxiliary troops. A large portion of Carthaginian forces during
1677-525: The time could have included what we think of as Gaul . The Iberians also had contacts with the Phoenicians , who had established various colonies in southern Andalucia . Their first colony on the Iberian Peninsula was founded in 1100 BCE and was originally called Gadir , later renamed by the Romans as Gades (modern Cádiz ). Other Phoenician colonies in southern Iberia included Malaka ( Málaga ), Sexi and Abdera . According to Arrian ,
1720-489: Was another ancient Iberian settlement, as well as Castelldefels Castle . Mausoleum of Pozo Moro near the town of Chinchilla de Monte-Aragón in Castile-La Mancha seems to mark the location of another big settlement. Sagunto is the location of an ancient Iberian and later Roman city of Saguntum, where a big fortress was built in the 5th century BCE. Greek colonists made the first historical reference to
1763-556: Was divided. In 1089, a bridge was built here over the River Aragon and Sancho Ramirez located the town to the present location. In 1121, Alfonso el Batallador ( Alfonso the Battler ) extended the fuero of Jaca to Sangüesa which significantly expanded the opportunities for Frankish merchants to settle here. Iberians The Iberians ( Latin : Hibērī , from Greek : Ἴβηρες , Iberes ) were an ancient people settled in
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1806-425: Was probably aided by trading contacts with the Phoenicians , Greeks , and Carthaginians . By the late 5th and early 4th centuries BCE a series of important social changes led to the consolidation of an aristocracy and the emergence of a clientele system. "This new political system led, among other things, to cities and towns that centered around these leaders, also known as territorial nucleation . In this context,
1849-450: Was rich in silver. After Hamilcar's death, his son-in-law Hasdrubal the Fair continued his incursions into Iberia, founding the colony of Qart Hadasht (modern Cartagena ) and extending his influence all the way to the southern bank of the river Ebro . After Hasdrubal's assassination in 221 BCE, Hannibal assumed command of the Carthaginian forces and spent two years completing the conquest of
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