This is a fascinating account of the Celtic leader Viriathus, who held the Roman Empire at bay two centuries before Boudicca. Following the Second Punic War in 202 B.C. in which the Carthaginians were ousted from Iberia, Rome thought they were in full control of the region. Soon, however, they found themselves pitted against an unexpected foe - the native Iberio-Celts, the Lusitanians. Led by the charismatic Viriathus, whose followers showed the same kind of fury and devotion as those of the future Celtic warrior queen Boudicca, the Lusitanians began a bitter 25-year war against the Romans in an attempt to establish their own nation. Despite their military advantages, the Romans could not defeat the Lusitanians, so instead offered a peace treaty. A large number of the Lusitanian leaders arrived to agree the treaty, only to be massacred. However, Viriathus escaped and rallied his people to continue the fight, deploying a highly effective guerrilla warfare campaign. After years of stalemate, the Romans resorted to employing the services of assassins to kill Viriathus, and with his death, the Lusitanian resistance collapsed and Rome secured Iberia.
Drawing on classical sources, and Portuguese and Spanish archival material, "The Lusitanian War" offers readers the first full-length study of this fascinating leader and the importance of his campaign, showing how his style of guerilla warfare had a profound influence on the Roman Army's future campaigns against native forces.
- ISBN10 159416102X
- ISBN13 9781594161025
- Publish Date 20 June 2012
- Publish Status Active
- Publish Country US
- Imprint Westholme Publishing, U.S.
- Format Hardcover
- Pages 352
- Language English