The Ligurians

[Pantagathus]

As for the text, you mention liberties. What exactly. The thing i find strange about the text is the reference to the women. Makes it seem that the women did male labour all year long, while De Mortillet describes it more as seasonal participation.

 

I

Edited April 6, 2006 by Pantagathus

[Pantagathus]

As for the Lepontii, i have read in numerous texts that they used the Etruscan Runes (alphabet)(the exact same runes, not a variant), is that true? Can any really confirm this?

 

So I looked into this a bit.

 

Strabo and others were firm on the fact that the Lepontii were a Rhaetian tribe. The Rhaetians of course may have originally been Etruscan people cut off from their homeland and forced into the mountains by the Celtic migrations. That the Leptonii used the Etruscan alphabet seems to be well attested in the archaeological record.

 

Their behavior and lifestyle is a lot like the Ligurians and I see no reason why they couldn't have been related to the Ligurians at an early period.

 

Definitely hard to tell after the Celtic migrations because it seems they eventualy became heavily Celticized.

[Al Amos]

Great topic guys!

 

I'm new here, and I'm a wargamer. (Don't shoot me!)

 

Would the Ligures fight as Greeks or Romans, formalized units, or as Celts, tribal organizations?

 

Any ideas on particular army sizes, or compositions?

 

Thanks.

[Pantagathus]

Would the Ligures fight as Greeks or Romans, formalized units, or as Celts, tribal organizations?

The Ligurians of Narbonesis would more than likely fight in a manner that was part war band - part Hoplite style due to the Phocaean Greek (Massalia) influence. The mountain tribes fought more in a predatory, guerilla type manner.

 

Any ideas on particular army sizes, or compositions?

Well, numbers are always a tricky one... With the Ligurians, numbers given mostly refer to those resettled afterwards like:

 

Consul P. Cornelius resettled 40,000 men, women & children to Samnium in 180 BC after defeating them. 7000 more the next year.

 

Proconsul Aemilius Paullus allegedly killed 15,000 & took 2,500 Inguani prisoner in 181 BC. However, from all I've researched, I'd say the average Ligurian tribe would have between 6,000 - 8,000 men of fighting age as a reliable average.

Edited August 15, 2006 by Pantagathus

[Al Amos]

Thank you sir, this helps.

[julieboy]

Didn't the Sicani in Sicily,and perhaps the Siculi also descend from the Ligurians?

[Guest Dave]

Fascinating stuff. Thank you for your contributions.

 

I'm new here - first post.

 

I'm concerned about the interaction between pre-republican and early republican Rome and the its interaction with the Ligurian people. That go for Venetic and Rhaetic peoples too, but not in this thread.

 

Would there have been any contact between the Latins (rome and others) and Ligurians?

 

Was republican conquest also exploration and discovery for the Romans?

 

What sources do you recommend? Strabo, Pliny....

 

I'm also particularly interested in the geography as it relates to my initial question.

[Pantagathus]

I'm new here - first post.

Welcome Dave! I'll do my best to answer your questions...

I'm concerned about the interaction between pre-republican and early republican Rome and the interaction with the Ligurian people