Audax, Ditalcus and Minurus were
Turdetani
The Turdetani were an ancient pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula, pre-Roman people of the Iberian Peninsula, living in the valley of the Guadalquivir (the river that the Turdetani called by two names: ''Kertis'' and ''Rérkēs'' (Ῥέ� ...
an warriors who participated in the
Lusitanian War
The Lusitanian Wars, called ''Pyrinos Polemos'' ("the Fiery War") in Greek, were wars of resistance fought by the Lusitanian tribes of Hispania Ulterior against the advancing legions of the Roman Republic from 155 to 139 BC. The Lusitanians re ...
. They were the supposed betrayers and assassins of the
Lusitanian leader
Viriathus
Viriathus (also spelled Viriatus; known as Viriato in Portuguese language, Portuguese and Spanish language, Spanish; died 139 Anno Domini, BC) was the most important leader of the Lusitanians, Lusitanian people that resisted Roman Republic, Roma ...
.
Biography
The three came from the city of
Urso and allied with Viriathus at some point of the war.
[ In 139 BC, after a long war against the Romans, Viriathus was killed in his sleep by Audax, Ditalcus and Minurus, who had been sent as emissaries to the Romans and had been bribed by Marcus Popillius Laenas. The Roman general Servilius Caepio had them kicked out, declaring "Rome does not pay traitors". According to ]Appian
Appian of Alexandria (; ; ; ) was a Greek historian with Roman citizenship who prospered during the reigns of the Roman Emperors Trajan, Hadrian, and Antoninus Pius.
He was born c. 95 in Alexandria. After holding the senior offices in the pr ...
, Servilius Caepio had paid them and sent them to Rome to collect the rest of the promised payment.
Diodorus says the third killer (Minurus) is called Nicorontes, while Appian calls him Minouros. Another account by Sextus Aurelius Victor says that Caepio paid two royal guards ("satellites") to kill Viriathus.Eutropii historiae Romanae breviarium:
/ref>
Etymology
Despite their provenance from Turdetania, their names have been noted as Celtic
Celtic, Celtics or Keltic may refer to:
Language and ethnicity
*pertaining to Celts, a collection of Indo-European peoples in Europe and Anatolia
**Celts (modern)
*Celtic languages
**Proto-Celtic language
*Celtic music
*Celtic nations
Sports Foot ...
in origin. It has been proposed they were Celtic aristocrats or mercenaries hired by southern populations, as it was usual at the time and place. ''Audax'' (maybe ''Audas'') might come from ''Auda'', meaning "luck" or "wealthy" in Celtic.[
]
In film and television
In the Spanish television series ''Hispania, La Leyenda'' (2010-2012), their roles are filled by the characters of Paulo (played by Juan José Ballesta
Juan José Ballesta Muñoz, also known as Juanjo Ballesta (born 12 November 1987) is a Spanish actor.
Biography
Born on 12 November 1987 in Parla, Ballesta grew up in Toledo, Spain, Toledo. He debuted in a performance in television in 1997, ...
), Sandro (Hovik Keuchkerian
Hovik Keuchkerian Burgui (born 14 November 1972) is a Spanish actor, stand-up comedian, and former boxer.
Biography
Hovik Keuchkerian Burgui was born in 1972, to an Armenian father and a Spanish mother in Beirut, Lebanon. He moved with his fa ...
) and Darío (Alfonso Bassave). In the series, Paulo and Sandro are actually innocent of Viriathus's death, and are only brought to Rome by Galba
Galba ( ; born Servius Sulpicius Galba; 24 December 3 BC – 15 January AD 69) was Roman emperor, ruling for 7 months from 8 June AD 68 to 15 January 69. He was the first emperor in the Year of the Four Emperors and assumed the throne follow ...
as scapegoats along with the real conspirator, Darío.
In the 2016 series '' Barbarians Rising'', Ditalcus is played by Radu Andrei Micu. He is portrayed as the last member of a tribe slain in retaliation to Viriathus's revolt. Other two conspirators, representing Audax and Minurus and played by uncredited actors, can be seen when he murders Viriathus.
See also
*Lusitanian War
The Lusitanian Wars, called ''Pyrinos Polemos'' ("the Fiery War") in Greek, were wars of resistance fought by the Lusitanian tribes of Hispania Ulterior against the advancing legions of the Roman Republic from 155 to 139 BC. The Lusitanians re ...
*Portugal
Portugal, officially the Portuguese Republic, is a country on the Iberian Peninsula in Southwestern Europe. Featuring Cabo da Roca, the westernmost point in continental Europe, Portugal borders Spain to its north and east, with which it share ...
*History of Portugal
The history of Portugal can be traced from circa 400,000 years ago, when the region of present-day Portugal was inhabited by ''Homo heidelbergensis''.
The Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula, which lasted almost two centuries, led to the es ...
*Timeline of Portuguese history
__NOTOC__
This is a timeline of Portuguese history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Portugal and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Portugal.
Centur ...
*Hispania
Hispania was the Ancient Rome, Roman name for the Iberian Peninsula. Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two Roman province, provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. During the Principate, Hispania Ulterior was divide ...
*Roman Empire
The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...
References
External links
Detailed map of the Pre-Roman Peoples of Iberia (around 200 BC)
Iberians
139 BC
2nd-century BC people
Spanish rebels
{{Portugal-hist-stub