Siege of Numantia facts for kids

The Siege of Numantia was a major battle in ancient times. It was the final and most important event of the long Numantine War. This war was fought between the powerful Roman Republic and the native people of Hispania Citerior, known as the Celtiberians. Numantia was a strong Celtiberian city, like a fortified town. The Numantine War was the third of the Celtiberian Wars, starting in 143 BC. About ten years later, in 133 BC, a famous Roman general named Scipio Aemilianus Africanus finally took control of Numantia. He was also a hero from the Third Punic War.

Rome Gets Ready for Battle

In late 135 BC, the Roman Senate (which was like the Roman government) chose Scipio to be a consul again. This was because people really wanted him to finish the war in Hispania. Other generals had tried and failed. When Scipio arrived, he found that the Roman soldiers in Iberia were not feeling very hopeful. There wasn't much treasure to be gained, so soldiers weren't eager to join.

But Scipio managed to gather a large army. He had 20,000 Roman soldiers, called legionaries, and 40,000 soldiers from allied groups and mercenaries. These included strong Numidian cavalry (soldiers on horseback) and 12 war elephants led by a man named Jugurtha. Scipio trained his troops very hard with constant marching. They also had several successful small fights before he began to surround Numantia. His plan was to starve the city into surrender, not to attack it directly.

Building the Siege Walls

Scipio's army built two large camps around Numantia. They connected these camps with a strong wall, completely surrounding the city. This was called a circumvallation. He also blocked a nearby swamp to create a lake between the city walls and his own. From seven tall towers built along his wall, Roman archers could shoot arrows into Numantia. These towers were ten feet off the ground.

To protect his own camps from any other armies trying to help Numantia, Scipio built another outer wall. This was called a contravallation. He ended up having five camps in total. Scipio also cut off the city's access to the Duero River. He built towers at the points where the river entered and left the city. He then stretched a cable with sharp blades across the river. This stopped any boats or swimmers from getting in or out of Numantia.

Numantia Fights Back

The people of Numantia tried to break out of the city once, but they failed. Then, their bravest warrior, Rhetogenes, managed to lead a small group of men down the river past the Roman blockade. He first went to a group called the Arevaci, but they didn't help him.

Next, he went to Lutia. The young men there were ready to help, but the older leaders of the tribe warned Scipio. Scipio quickly marched from Numantia and captured 400 young men from Lutia. He had their hands cut off as a warning. After Scipio returned, Avarus, the leader of Numantia, started talking to the Romans about peace.

The City Gives Up

The first people sent by Numantia to talk with Scipio asked for their freedom if they surrendered completely. But Scipio refused their terms. When these ambassadors returned to Numantia, the people there were so angry and couldn't believe they hadn't made a deal, so they killed them.

The city refused to give up, and soon, people started to starve. Finally, the remaining people of Numantia surrendered. But before they did, they set their own city on fire. Scipio took control of the burning city and had its ruins completely flattened. This happened in the late summer of 133 BC.

What We Remember Today

Many Roman historians wrote about the Siege of Numantia. They admired how much the ancient Iberians valued their freedom and how bravely they fought against the strong Roman legions.

Much later, Miguel de Cervantes, who wrote the famous book Don Quixote, wrote a play about this event called La Numancia. It's still his most famous play. More recently, a writer named Carlos Fuentes wrote a short story about it called "The Two Numantias." It was published in his 1994 book The Orange Tree. In 2017, Spain held events to remember the 2150th anniversary of the siege.

See also

In Spanish: Asedio de Numancia para niños