Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus

Décimo Júnio Bruto near Limia River, Tapestry of Almada Negreiros

Map of the Roman conquest of the northern territories of the Iberian Peninsula inhabited by the Cantabri and the Astures. The 137BC campaign is colored purple.

Iberian Peninsula circa 100 BC

Decimus Junius Brutus Callaicus (180 BC - 113 BC) was a Roman politician and general of the 2nd century BC. Son of the 178 BC consul Marcus Junius Brutus and brother of the praetor Marcus Junius Brutus, he himself was appointed consul in 138BC (joint with Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio)^[1]. He had a son also named Decimus Junius Brutus, consul in 77 BC, and his grandson was Decimus Junius Brutus Albinus.

Conquest of western Iberian peninsula

Brutus led the Roman legions in the conquest of western Iberia^[2] after the death of Viriathus, chieftain of the Lusitanians and the defeat of his successor, Tantalus by Quintus Servilius Caepio (consul 140 BC).

In his conquest, he scored major victories in the south of modern Portugal, before going on to the north. He had the city of Olissipo (modern Lisbon) fortified and advanced to the north, destroying settlements as he went. The city of Talabriga (current day Marnel, near Águeda) was taken^[3], a fortified position was established at Vissaium (Viseu), the Douro river was crossed and the Lima river was reached by 137 BC^[4]. Ultimately, according to Strabo, Brutus reached the Minho River.

At the end of Brutus' campaigns, Rome controlled the territory between the Douro and Minho rivers plus probable extensions along the coast and in the interior. It was only under Augustus, however, at the end of the 1st century BC, that present north Portugal and Galicia were fully pacified and under Roman control.

Other facts

He dedicated (with verses from Lucius Accius^[5] ) the Circus Flaminius (Temple of Mars) in Rome in 133 BC to commemorate his victories. In 136 BC the Roman Senate granted him the title Callaicus for his campaigns in Gallaecia. In 129 BC he served with Gaius Sempronius Tuditanus. In 113 BC he was nominated proconsul of Lusitania with Gaius Marius.

See also

• Junia (gens)
• Lusitanians
• Quintus Sertorius
• Viriathus
• Timeline of Portuguese history
  • Timeline of Iberian prehistory
  • Pre-Roman Iberian history (Before the 3rd Century BC)
  • Roman Lusitania and Gallaecia (3rd Century BC to 4th Century AC)

References

1. ^ "Consoli Romani - Cronologia". Cronologia.leonardo.it. http://cronologia.leonardo.it/mondo15r.htm. Retrieved 2011-10-30. 
2. ^ "An introduction to Roman tragedy - Anthony James Boyle - Google Livros". Books.google.pt. http://books.google.pt/books?id=l1l7H9rfFHEC&pg=PA111&dq=Decimus+Junius+Brutus+Callaicus&hl=pt-PT&ei=U6ysTtOuHcbi8APs0KGNCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CCsQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&q=Decimus%20Junius%20Brutus%20Callaicus&f=false. Retrieved 2011-10-30. 
3. ^ "A history of Rome to the battle of ... - Evelyn Shirley Shuckburgh - Google Livros". Books.google.pt. http://books.google.pt/books?id=gzZLAAAAMAAJ&q=Decimus+Junius+Brutus+Callaicus&dq=Decimus+Junius+Brutus+Callaicus&hl=pt-PT&ei=U6ysTtOuHcbi8APs0KGNCw&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=7&ved=0CEsQ6AEwBjgK. Retrieved 2011-10-30. 
4. ^ Strabo iii. p. 153; Mela, iii, 1; Pliny the Elder H.N. iv. 22 s. 35
5. ^ Jocelyn, H.D. (1996), "Accius, Lucius", in Hornblower, Simon, Oxford Classical Dictionary, 1, Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 3 

Preceded by Gnaeus Calpurnius Piso and Marcus Popillius Laenas

Consul of the Roman Republic with Publius Cornelius Scipio Nasica Serapio 138 BCE

Succeeded by Marcus Aemilius Lepidus Porcina and Gaius Hostilius Mancinus

Persondata
Name	Callaicus, Decimus Junius Brutus
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	180 BC
Place of birth
Date of death	113 BC
Place of death