Istolatios facts for kids

Istolatios was a brave military leader of the Turdetani people, who lived a very long time ago, around the 3rd century BC. He was well-respected and known for his skills in leading armies. Istolatios brought together a large army made up of soldiers from the Turdetans, Celtiberians, and Iberians. His goal was to stop the powerful Carthaginians and their famous general, Hamilcar Barca, from invading his lands.

Biography

The ancient historian Diodorus Siculus wrote about Istolatios. He described him as a clever military strategist from the Celtic tribes, who served the Turdetani. Diodorus also mentioned that Istolatios had a brother who helped him as a lieutenant, or second-in-command. Some people have thought this brother was Indortes, who became a leader after Istolatios. However, Diodorus's writings suggest they might have been different people.

Around 220 BC, Hamilcar Barca and his army, which included many hired soldiers, began to invade the Guadalquivir Valley (a large river valley in what is now Spain). Istolatios quickly gathered his forces from the Turdetan and Iberian peoples in the area to meet them.

However, Istolatios's army was not ready for the different fighting styles and clever plans of the Carthaginian forces. The Carthaginians even had powerful war elephants, which were a terrifying sight in battle. Because of this, Istolatios and his army were defeated. Istolatios himself was captured and sadly killed after the battle.

Fighting (Hamilcar) against the Iberians and the Tartessians, with Istolatios, general of the Celts, and his brother, he killed them all, including the two brothers, with other outstanding leaders, and enlisted under his own orders three thousand, who he had captured alive.

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