View source for Numantine War

{{Short description|Last of the Celtiberian Wars}}
{{More footnotes|date=April 2009}}
{{Infobox military conflict
| conflict          = Numantine War
| partof            = the [[Celtiberian Wars]]
| image            = Рисунок к статье «Нумантийская война». Военная энциклопедия Сытина (Санкт-Петербург, 1911-1915).jpg
| image_size   = 270px
| caption = Siege of Numantia
| date              = 143–133 BC
| place             = [[Hispania]]
| casus             = The Celtiberians revolt against the oppression of the Roman governors, who continuously break the treaty made by Marcellus in 152 BC.
| territory         = Expansion of the Roman territory through [[Celtiberia]]
| result            = Roman victory
| combatant1        = {{plainlist|
* [[Roman Republic]]
* [[Kingdom of Numidia]]
}}
| combatant2        = {{plainlist|
* [[Arevaci]]
* [[Lusones]]
* [[Vaccaei]]
* [[Vettones]]
}}
| commander1        = {{plainlist|
* [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus|Metellus Macedonicus]]
* [[Quintus Pompeius (consul 141 BC)|Quintus Pompeius]]
* Marcus Popillius Laenas
* [[Gaius Hostilius Mancinus]]
* [[Scipio Aemilianus]]
* [[Micipsa]]
* [[Jughurta]]
}}
| commander2        = {{plainlist|
* Avarus{{KIA}}
* Litennon Attio
* [[Tanginus]]
* Caraunius
}}
| strength1         = 
| strength2         = 
| casualties1       = 
| casualties2       = 
| notes             = 
}}

The '''Numantine War'''<ref>The term Numantine War can refer to the whole conflict lasting from 154 to 133 or to just the latter part, from 143 to 133. Thus, the two conflicts are sometimes called the Numantine Wars (plural) and subdivided into the First and Second Numantine War. The two are also called the '''Second''' and '''Third Celtiberian''' (or '''Spanish''') '''Wars'''.</ref> (from ''Bellum Numantinum'' in [[Appian]]'s ''Roman History'') was the last conflict of the [[Celtiberian Wars]] fought by the [[Ancient Rome|Romans]] to subdue those people along the [[Ebro]], in what is now Spain. It was a twenty-year conflict between the Celtiberian tribes of [[Hispania Citerior]] and the Roman government. It began in 154 BC as a revolt of the Celtiberians of [[Numantia]] on the [[Douro]]. The first phase of the war ended in 151, but in 143, war flared up again with a new insurrection in Numantia.
{{Campaignbox Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula}}

The first war was fought contemporaneously with the [[Lusitanian War]] in [[Hispania Ulterior]]. The [[Lusitanians]] were subdued by [[Servius Sulpicius Galba (consul 144 BC)|Sulpicius Galba]], who betrayed their surrender and executed their leading men, and the [[Arevaci]] of Hispania Citerior continued the war and allied with the Lusitanian leader [[Viriathus]].

After open war reignited in 143, Rome sent a series of generals to the Iberian peninsula to deal with the Numantines. In that year, [[Quintus Caecilius Metellus Macedonicus]] tried and failed to take Numantia by siege, but subjugated all the other tribes of the Arevaci. His successor, [[Quintus Pompeius]], was inept and suffered severe defeats at their hands, so he secretly negotiated a peace with the city abiding by the previous treaty. Yet in 138 BC a new general arrived, Marcus Pompillius Laenas, and when the Numantine envoys came to finish their obligations of the peace treaty, Pompeius disavowed negotiating any such peace. The matter was referred to the [[Roman Senate|Senate]] for a judgment. Rome decided to ignore Pompeius' peace and sent [[Gaius Hostilius Mancinus]] to continue the war in 136 BC. He assaulted the city and was repulsed several times before being routed and encircled, and so forced to accept a treaty, negotiated by a young [[Tiberius Gracchus]]. The Senate did not ratify this treaty either but only sent Mancinus to the Numantines as a prisoner. His successors [[Lucius Furius Philus]] and [[Lucius Calpurnius Piso Caesoninus (consul 148 BC)|Gaius Calpurnius Piso]] avoided conflict with the Numantines.

[[File:Numancia Alejo Vera Estaca 1881.jpg|thumb|left|Siege of Numantia]] 
In 134 BC, the [[Consul]] [[Scipio Aemilianus]] was sent to Hispania Citerior to end the war. He recruited 20,000 men and 40,000 allies, including [[Numidia]]n cavalry under [[Jugurtha]]. Scipio built a ring of seven fortresses around Numantia itself before beginning the [[Siege of Numantia|siege proper]]. After suffering pestilence and famine, most of the surviving Numantines committed suicide rather than surrender to Rome. The decisive Roman victory over Numantia ushered in an era of lasting peace in Hispania until the [[Sertorian War]] over half a century later.

This war also launched the careers of several important figures. Tiberius Gracchus was present as a [[quaestor]] during Mancinus's failed siege. Due to the reputation Gracchus's father had with the Numantines, Tiberius was selected to negotiate the treaty. [[Gaius Marius]] also fought in this war, as well as the later Roman enemy Jugurtha.

== Notes ==
{{reflist}}

== Sources ==
{{more footnotes|date=October 2009}}
* Davis, Paul K. ''Besieged: 100 Great Sieges from Jericho to Sarajevo''. [[Oxford University Press]], 2001.
* Wintle, Justin. ''The Rough Guide History of Spain''. Rough Guides: [[Spain]], 2003.
* [http://penelope.uchicago.edu/~grout/encyclopaedia_romana/hispania/celtiberianwar.html Encyclopaedia Romana: ''The Celtiberian War and Numantia''.]
* {{gutenberg author|id=1105|name=Theodor Mommsen}} The History of Rome, Book IV
* [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Marius*.html]
* [https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Plutarch/Lives/Tiberius_Gracchus*.html]

{{Ancient Roman Wars}}

[[Category:150s BC conflicts]]
[[Category:140s BC conflicts]]
[[Category:130s BC conflicts]]
[[Category:2nd century BC in Hispania]]
[[Category:2nd century BC in the Roman Republic]]
[[Category:Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula]]
[[Category:Wars involving the Roman Republic]]
[[Category:Rebellions against the Roman Republic]]