Introduction
After the end of the Punic Wars in the third century BC, Rome
focused all its strength on conquering the Iberian Peninsula.
Initially, the invasion was successful and Rome conquered most
of the peninsula with relative ease.
Led by Consul Servius Sulpicius Galba, Roman troops proceeded to
eliminate the last remnants of the Lusitanian resistance. Fearing
the destruction of their lands, the Lusitanians sent an emissary to
Consul Galba requesting an armistice. Galba obliged, suspending
the Roman offensive and promising to leave the remainder of the
peninsula to the Lusitanians.
As it turned out, Galba had lied. When the Lusitanians attempted
to claim the lands they were promised, Galba's army was waiting
for them. The unarmed Lusitanians were killed in massive numbers.
A man named Viriathus was among the few who managed to escape
the massacre.
After losing such a substantial amount of troops, Lusitanian
military leaders were prepared to negotiate a new treaty with
their enemies. Viriathus, however, hadn't forgotten Galba's
treachery. Instead of a treaty, he suggested a counteroffensive.
The Lusitanians supported this idea wholeheartedly.
Viriathus and the Lusitanian army were severely outmatched by the
better-armed and better-organized Romans, so Viriathus executed
guerilla tactics, orchestrating imaginative ambushes and clever
flanks. Charging forward with iron spears, short swords, and
resounding warcries, the Lusitanians left a trail of enemy
armies in their wake, freeing the Iberian Peninsula from Roman
control.