Berones facts for kids
The Berones were an ancient group of Celtic people who lived in Spain long before the Romans arrived. They were not part of the Celtiberians, another large Celtic group. Instead, the Berones lived to the north of them. Their home was near the Cantabri people, in the middle part of the Ebro River valley. This area was between the Tirón and Alhama rivers.
Where They Came From
The Berones were Celts, just like many other groups in ancient Europe. Their ancestors traveled from Gaul (which is now mostly France) to the Iberian Peninsula (Spain and Portugal). This journey happened around the 4th century BC. They settled in what is now La Rioja. They also lived in parts of the Soria, Álava, and Navarre provinces.
Where They Lived
The Berones were a people who raised animals. They often moved their herds from one place to another, a practice called transhumance. Their main city was called Varia, or sometimes Vareia. This city was located near modern-day Logroño, in the middle of the Ebro River region.
The Berones also controlled several other towns. These included Libia (which might be Herramélluri or Leiva), Tritium Megallum (Tricio), and Bilibium (Bilibio). Another important town was Contrebia Leukade (Aguillar del Rio Alhama).
Their History
The Berones were friends with the Autrigones, another ancient group. For a long time, during the 3rd and 2nd centuries BC, the Berones stayed out of the Celtiberian confederacy. This was a group of Celtiberian tribes who often fought together.
Later, the Berones faced pressure from the Vascones people. The Berones likely first met the Romans in the early 2nd century BC. Some records suggest they fought alongside the Celtiberians in a battle near Calagurris in 186 BC. They were defeated by a Roman leader named Lucius Manlius Adicinus Fulvianus.
Later, during a conflict called the Social War (91–88 BC), some Beronian horsemen became mercenaries for the Romans. They fought in Italy as part of a special cavalry unit. However, they later helped their Autrigones friends. They defended their lands in northern Celtiberia against an invasion by a Roman general named Sertorius in 76 BC.
The Berones stopped being an independent group around 72 BC. This was after the Sertorian Wars ended. However, some of their towns kept their unique culture for a while longer. This was because Roman influence, or Romanization, reached them later.
See also
In Spanish: Berones para niños
- Celtiberian confederacy
- Celtiberian script
- Celtiberian Wars
- Sertorian Wars
- Pre-Roman peoples of the Iberian Peninsula
