Celtici

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The Celtici (in Portuguese language, Portuguese, Spanish, and Galician languages, ) were a Celtic tribe or group of tribes of the Iberian peninsula, inhabiting three definite areas: in what today are the regions of Alentejo and the Algarve in Portugal; in the Province of Badajoz and north of Province of Huelva in Spain, in the ancient Baeturia; and along the coastal areas of Galicia. Classical authors give various accounts of the Celtici's relationships with the Gallaeci, Celtiberians and Turdetani.

Classical sources

Several classical sources, Greek and Roman, mentioned the Celtici.

The Celtici were not considered a barbarian people. On the contrary, they were what the Greeks considered a civilized people, almost in the same degree as the Turdetani.

Their main cities were Lacobriga (probably Lagos in the Algarve), Caepiana (in Alentejo), Braetolaeum, Miróbriga (near Santiago do Cacém), Arcobriga, Meribriga, Catraleucus, Turres, Albae and Arandis (near Castro Verde and Ourique). Other important cities were Nertobriga, Turobriga, Segida, Ebora, Caetobriga and Eburobrittium ( Óbidos), among other settlements.

They appear to be the main group responsible for the celticization of the Conii, in the Algarve.

The origin of the Baeturian Celts was, according to Pliny, from the Celtici of Lusitania and were also kin to the Gallaeci:


The Celtici from Guadiana had blood links with the Galician Celts, since there had been large-scale migration to the northwest of these Celts along with the Turduli (Str., 3, 3, 5).''

... liny considers the Celtici who extend into Baeticato have migrated from Lusitania which he appears to regard as the original seat of the whole Celtic population of the Iberian peninsula including the Celtiberians, on the ground of an identity of sacred rites, language, and names of cities., multiline=yes

These migratory patterns have persisted on the same axis until modern times, supporting a centuries-old traditional and seasonal farming and animal husbandry transhumance along the ancient Roman or Carthaginian Silver road that served for its rich mines production transport, and for the Astorga region peddlers and wagoneers, the Maragatos.

Pliny also noted that already in Roman times the inhabitants of Miróbriga (one of the Celtic cities of the region, near Santiago do Cacém) used the surname of ''Celtici'': "". In the sanctuary of Miróbriga a resident leaves their Celtic origin recorded:

Origins

Traditional theories hold that the Celtici were a group that included several , namely the Saefes and the Cempsii, of unknown origin, which according to modern research possibly belonged to one of the first settlements of Celtic origin; and initially perhaps also the possible proto-Lusitanians (the ''Ligus'', ''Lusis'' or ''Lycis''), all mentioned in the ("Sea Coasts") of Avienius, and possibly reinforced with subsequent waves.

The ''Celtici'' of Alentejo and Baeturia

The main Eburones’ cities were their presumed capital ''Ebora'' (Évora), ''Segovia'' (archeological site near Campo Maior, Elvas), the coastal town of ''Mirobriga Celticorum'' (archeological site near Santiago do Cacém), and five other towns within Alentejo. Around the 3rd Century BC they managed to push southwards towards the western Algarve coast where they founded the port of ''Laccobriga'' (Monte Molião, near Lagos) in Conii territory. In Baeturia, the Bituriges set their capital at ''Nertobriga'' (Cerro del Coto, Fregenal de la Sierra – Badajoz) whilst the Turones placed theirs at ''Turobriga'' (Llanos de La Belleza, near Aroche – Huelva) and both peoples controlled six other cities.

The ''Celtici'' of ''Ultima Celtiberia''

In Baetica the Celtici held or had a presence in some city-states, namely ''Celti'' ( Peñaflor – Seville), ''Urso'' (Osuna – Seville), ''Obulco/Obulcula'' ( Castillo de la Monclova, Fuentes de Andalucía – Seville; Iberian-type mint: ''Ipolca''), ''Tribola'' (Baena – Córdoba), ''Munda'' (Montilla? – Córdoba), ''Tucci/Itucci'' ( Los Martos, near Jaén – Córdoba), ''Turobriga'' (Turón – Granada), ''Cartima'' ( Cártama – Málaga), ''Arunda'' (Ronda – Málaga) and ''Acinipo'' ( Ronda la Vieja – Málaga).

The ''Celtici'' of Gallaecia

Further North in Gallaecia, another group of Celtici dwelt the coastal areas. They comprised several , including the Celtici proper: the ''Praestamarci'' south of the Tambre river (''Tamaris''), the ''Supertamarci'' north of it, and the ''Neri'' by the Celtic promontory (''Promunturium Celticum''), whom Strabo considered related to the Celtici of Lusitania, settled in Gallaecia after a military campaign held jointly with the Turduli Veteres. Pomponius Mela affirmed that all the inhabitants of the coastal regions, from the bays of southern Gallaecia and up to the Astures, were also Celtici: "All (this coast) is inhabited by the Celtici, except from the Douro river to the bays, where the Grovi dwelt (…) In the north coast first there are the Artabri, still of the Celtic people (''Celticae gentis''), and after them the Astures." He also mentioned the fabulous isles of tin, the ''Cassiterides'', as situated among these Celtici.

The Celtici Supertarmarci have also left a number of inscriptions, as the Celtici Flavienses did. Several villages and rural parishes still bear the name ''Céltigos'' (from Latin ''Celticos'') in Galicia. This is also the name of an archpriesthood of the Catholic Church, a division of the archbishopric of Santiago de Compostela, encompassing part of the lands attributed to the Celtici Supertamarci by ancient authors.

Culture

Archaeology confirms that the material culture of the southwestern Celtici was deeply influenced by the Arevaci of Celtiberia and beyond, as their metalwork shows strong parallels with south-central Gaul, Liguria, Etruria, and central Italy. The Baetic Celtici soon fell under the cultural influence of their Iberian Turdetani neighbors, as well as receiving Hellenistic elements from the Carthaginians.

History

Submitted to Carthaginian rule just prior to the 2nd Punic War, the Celtici of Alentejo and Beturia recovered their independence in 206 BC whereas their Baetic counterparts simply shifted their allegiance from Carthage to the Roman Republic. In 197 BC the ''Ultima Celtiberia'' was included in the new Hispania Ulterior Province, though they were only conquered by the Ulterior Praetor Tiberius Gracchus in 179 BC.
The Beturian Celtici tribes however, rose in support of a Turdetanian rebellion soon afterwards, and allied with the Lusitani and Vettones, promptly began to raid the lands of the Roman Hispanic allies in Baetica and the Cyneticum throughout the 2nd Century BC. They proved to be the most reliable allies of the Lusitani – whose chieftain Viriathus used western Beturia as a rear base for its military operations on the south – in deep contrast to the Celtici city-states of Baetica, who frequently changed sides according to circumstances.
When the tide turned against the Lusitani in 141 BC, the Beturian Celtici were subjected to the punitive campaigns conducted in the Iberian southwest by Consul Quintus Fabius Maximus Servilianus, who invaded eastern Beturia and plundered five towns allied with Viriathus.Appian, ''Iberiké'', 68.

Citations

See also

*Belgae
*Gauls
*History of Portugal
**Timeline of Portuguese history
*History of Spain
*Prehistoric Iberia
*Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula
*Names of the Celts
*List of Celtic place names in Portugal
* "Tartessian" or Southwestern language ("South-Lusitanian" language)

References

* Ángel Montenegro ''et alii'', ''Historia de España 2 - colonizaciones y formación de los pueblos prerromanos (1200-218 a.C)'', Editorial Gredos, Madrid (1989)
* Mattoso, José (dir.), História de Portugal. Primeiro Volume: Antes de Portugal, Lisboa, Círculo de Leitores, 1992. (in Portuguese language, Portuguese)
*
*Luis Berrocal-Rangel, ''Los pueblos célticos del soroeste de la Península Ibérica'', Editorial Complutense, Madrid (1992)
*Pliny the Elder, '' Natural history'' III, 13-14.

Further reading

* Alberto Lorrio J. Alvarado, ''Los Celtíberos'', Universidad Complutense de Madrid, Murcia (1997)
* Francisco Burillo Mozota, ''Los Celtíberos, etnias y estados'', Crítica, Barcelona (1998, revised edition 2007)

External links

*http://www.celtiberia.net
Detailed map of the Pre-Roman Peoples of Iberia (around 200 BC)

{{Pre-Roman peoples in Portugal

Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula
Ancient peoples of Portugal
Prehistoric Portugal
Tribes of Lusitania
Ancient peoples of Spain