Appian, The Spanish Wars

Appian of Alexandria (c.95-c.165): one of the most underestimated of all Greek historians, author of a Roman History in twenty-four books.

His account of the Spanish Wars is fortunately among these better preserved parts. It describes all Roman conflicts on the Iberian peninsula from the moment on which Rome conquered the Mediterranean coast during the war against Hannibal Barca until the final pacification by the emperor Augustus.

The translation was made by Horace White; notes by Jona Lendering.

There are two systems to divide the Spanish Wars: in 102 sections or 16 chapters. On these webpages, the text is divided into sections; the following table shows the division into chapters.

1

Introduction

§1: Boundaries of Spain
§2: Spanish antiquities
§3: Scope of Arrian's book on Spain

Hamilcar

§4: Hamilcar Barca
§5: Hamilcar's death

2

§6: Hasdrubal succeeds Hamilcar
§7: The Ebro treaty

Hannibal

§8: Hannibal Barca succeeds Hasdrubal
§9: Hannibal's ambitions

Siege of Saguntum

§10: Hannibal attacks Saguntum
§11: The Saguntines appeal to Rome
§12: Fall of Saguntum

3

The Second Punic War

§13: Declaration of war
§14: The Roman commanders
§15: Successes of the two Cornelii Scipiones
§16: Their defeat and death
§17: Roman discouragement

4 §18: The election of Publius Cornelius Scipio
§19: Scipio arrives in Spain
§20: Scipio attacks New Carthage
§21: Fighting at New Carthage
§22: Surrender of New Carthage
§23: Booty of New Carthage
5 §24: Carthaginian commanders
§25: Preparations for the battle of Carmo
§26: Omens
§27: Battle of Carmo
§28: Hasdrubal moves to Italy
6 §29: Negotiations with Syphax
§30: Scipio in Africa
§31: Silanus outwits Mago
§32: Sack of Iliturgi
§33: Capture of Astapa
7 §34: Mutiny in Scipio's army
§35: Rebellious soldiers in New Carthage
§36: Suppression of the rebellion
§37: Masinissa allies himself to Scipio
§38: Final settlement in Spain
8

Pacification after the Second Punic War

§39: Insurrections
§40: Cato's victory in Spain
§41: A stratagemen of Cato

The First Celtiberian War

§42: Fulvius Flaccus suppresses the Lusones
§43: Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus

9

The Second Celtiberian War

§44: The Belli and the Titthi
§45: A Roman defeat
§46: Roman defeat near the walls of Numantia
§47: Increasing troubles for the Romans
§48: Marcus Claudius Marcellus concludes an armistice
§49: Lucius Licinius Lucullus continues the Numantine war
§50: Marcellus receives the surrender of his enemies

Lucullus' raid

§51: Lucullus attacks Cauca
§52: Sack of Cauca
§53: Lucullus attacks Intercatia
§54: Siege of Intercatia
§55: End of the Lucullus' raid

10

The Lusitanian War

§56: Outbreak of war
§57: Lucius Mummius
§58: Servius Sulpicius Galba
§59: Invasion of Lusitania
§60: Massacre of the Lusitanians

11

The War of fire

§61: Outbreak of war
§62: Roman defeat at Tribola
§63: Death of Vetilius
§64: Viriathus defeats Plautius twice
§65: Maximus Aemilianus defeats Viriathus near Urso
§66: War with Viriathus continued

12 §67: Quintus Fabius Maximus Servilianus
§68: Invasion of Lusitania
§69: Roman defeat at Erisana; peace treaty
§70: The Romans break the treaty
§71: Junius Brutus' counter-guerrilla
§72: Brutus crosses the Lethe
§73: Brutus captures Talabriga
§74: Viriathus assassinated
§75: Character of Viriathus
13

The Numantine War

§76: Quintus Caecilius Metellus
§77: Pompeius besieges towns near Numantia
§78: Negotiations with the Numantines
§79: Treaty between Pompeius and the Numantines
§80: Gaius Hostilius Mancinus defeated
§81: Marcus Aemilius Lepidus attacks the Vaccaei
§82: Roman failure at Pallantia
§83: Trial of Mancinus

14 §84: Scipio Aemilianus sent against the Numantines
§85: Scipio Aemilianus restores discipline
§86: Training of the Roman army
§87: Scipio advances to Numantia
§88: Skirmishes
§89: Jugurtha
15 §90: Scipio Aemilianus builds a wall around Numantia
§91: Scipio blocks the river
§92: Numantia besieged
§93: Numantia besieged
§94: Rhetogenes Caraunius
§95: Negotiations
§96: Surrender of Numantia
§97: Heroism of the Numantines
§98: Sack of Numantia
16

Later conflicts

§99: Reorganisation of provinces
§100: Titus Didius
§101: Sertorius
§102: Julius Caesar and Octavian