The Astures, also called Astyrs, were a group of people from the northwest part of ancient Hispania, which is now mostly the modern region of Asturias in Spain, parts of the León province, the northern part of the Zamora province, and the eastern part of Trás-os-Montes in Portugal. These people were skilled horse riders and raised cattle in the highlands. They lived in circular houses made of stone and drywall. A major group among them was the Albiones from western Asturias. Isidore of Seville explained that the name "Astures" may come from the Astura River. Scholars have identified this river as the Órbigo River in the León plain or the modern Esla River.
Location
The Asturian homeland covered the modern region of Asturias and parts of the León, eastern Lugo, Orense, and northern Zamora provinces. It also included the northeastern part of the Portuguese region of Trás-os-Montes. In this area, the Asturians controlled towns such as Lancia, now known as Villasabariego in the León province; Asturica, now called Astorga in León; Mons Medullius, possibly located near Las Medulas in León; Bergidum, now Cacabelos near Villafranca del Bierzo in León; Bedunia, now Castro de Cebrones in León; Aliga, possibly Alixa in León; Curunda, now Castro de Avelãs in Trás-os-Montes; Lucus Asturum, now Lugo de Llanera in Asturias; Brigaetium, now Benavente in Zamora; and Nemetobriga, now A Pobra de Trives in Ourense, which was the religious center.
Origins
The Astures may have been part of a group of people who left their homeland in Bavaria and Bohemia and moved into Gaul. Some of them traveled over the mountains into Spain and Portugal. By the 6th century BC, the Astures lived in hillforts called castros, such as Coanna and Mohias, which were near the Navia River on the coast of the Bay of Biscay. Roman historians, including Florus (who summarized Livy) and Orosius, described the Astures as being split into two groups based on the natural division created by the alpine karst mountains of the Picos de Europa range. The Transmontani lived north of the Picos de Europa, in the modern region of Asturias, and included tribes such as the Iburri, Luggones, Paesici, Paenii, Saelini, Vinciani, Viromenici, and Baedunienses. The Cismontani lived on the southern side of the mountains, in the modern area of León, and included tribes such as the Amaci, Cabruagenigi, Lancienses, Lougei, Tiburi, Brigaecini, Orniaci, Superatii, Gigurri, Zoelae, and Susarri. The Susarri lived around Asturica Augusta, a major town in the Astura River valley during Roman times. Before the Romans conquered the region in the late 1st century BC, the Astures formed a united group of tribes with their capital at the mountain-top fortress of Asturica (now known as Astorga).
Culture
Recent studies of ancient writings show that the Astures spoke a language called 'Q-Celtic,' similar to the languages of nearby groups like the Gallaeci Lucenses and Braccarenses. Although the Celtic language was no longer used during the Roman period, many village names and geographical features still reflect it, often linked to Celtic gods. For example, the parish of Taranes and villages like Tereñes, Táranu, Tarañu, and Torañu are connected to the god Taranis. The parish of Lugones is linked to the god Lugus, and the parish of Beleño is connected to the god Belenus.
Ancient writers describe the Astures as having a family system where property was passed down through the mother's family. They lived in hill forts built in strategic locations in modern-day Asturias and the mountainous areas of León. These forts had round walls in hilly regions and rectangular walls in flatter areas, similar to the forts of the Galicians. Both men and women belonged to the warrior class and were known as strong fighters.
Many Asture tribes, such as the Lugones, worshipped the Celtic god Lugh. Names of places inhabited by the Astures still include references to other Celtic gods like Taranis and Belenos. Some evidence suggests they may have also honored a god named Busgosu.
The Astures were skilled hunters and gatherers who lived in mountainous areas. They attacked Roman settlements in the lowlands, as noted by ancient writers like Florus and Paulus Orosius, who called them two of the strongest peoples in Hispania. Archaeological findings also show they raised livestock in mountain pastures and farmed crops like barley, wheat, and flax on slopes and in valleys. They raised sheep, goats, a few oxen, and a type of mountain horse called the Asturcon, which was known for its speed and agility. Pliny the Elder described these horses as small but fast, used for hunting and warfare.
For much of the year, the Astures relied on acorns as their main food. They dried and ground acorns into flour to make a type of long-lasting bread. From their small farms, they grew barley to make beer (called Zythos), as well as wheat and flax. Because their farming was limited and they were known for being warriors, they often raided the lands of the Vaccaei, a group with more advanced farming. Lucan referred to them as "Pale seekers after gold."
History
The Astures first appeared in historical records in the late 3rd century BC. They were listed among the Spanish soldiers in the army of Hasdrubal Barca during the Battle of the Metaurus River in 207 BC. Silius Italicus also wrote about Astur soldiers in Hannibal’s army, led by a leader named Cydnus. After the Second Punic War, less is known about the Astures. They are rarely mentioned in ancient writings about the Lusitanian, Celtiberian, or Sertorian Wars. They reappeared in the later 1st century BC when they sent soldiers to help the army of Pompey, led by generals Lucius Afranius and Marcus Petreius, during the Battle of Ilerda (Lérida) in 49 BC, which was part of the Second Roman Civil War.
Led by Gausón, a former soldier, the Astures joined the Cantabri to fight against Emperor Augustus’s efforts to conquer the northwest of the Iberian Peninsula. They also supported a failed rebellion by the Vaccaei in 29 BC. The Roman campaign against the Astures and Cantabri was so difficult that Augustus himself had to lead the effort. The first Roman campaign against the Astures, called the Bellum Asturicum, began in the spring of 26 BC and ended in 25 BC with the Astures surrendering at Mons Medullus to Augustus. This allowed Augustus to return to Rome and close the temple of Janus, a symbol of peace. The remaining Astures were later subdued by Publius Carisius, a Roman general, who trapped Gausón and his soldiers at the hillfort of Lancia and forced them to surrender by threatening to burn the town. Though the Romans controlled the region, the Astures’ way of life changed little.
According to official Roman records, the fall of the last Asturian stronghold marked the end of the Roman conquest of their lands. These lands were then added to the new Transduriana Province, managed by the suffect consul Lucius Sestius Albanianus Quirinalis. Roman military bases were built at Castrum Legio VII Gemina (León) and Petavonium (Rosinos de Vidriales–Zamora), and Roman colonies were established at Asturica Augusta (Astorga) and Lucus Asturum (Lugo de Llanera–Asturias).
Despite Roman efforts to control the region, the Astures resisted through repeated rebellions, often with the Cantabri. These uprisings occurred in 24–22 BC, 20–18 BC, and 16–13 BC, and were crushed by General Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa and Augustus.
The Astures were later part of the Roman province of Hispania Tarraconensis. Their integration into the Roman world was slow and difficult, as many Astures kept their Celtic language, religion, and traditions. They provided soldiers to the Roman army, including cavalry and infantry units, which fought in Emperor Claudius’s invasion of Britain from AD 43 to AD 60. These units continued to serve into the late Roman Empire. However, a revolt by the Astures in AD 54, confirmed by an ancient stone inscription, led to another long and violent conflict that lasted 14 years, ending around AD 68.
During the Germanic invasions in the 5th century AD, the Astures resisted attacks by the Suevi and Visigoths. They were eventually defeated and absorbed into the Visigothic Kingdom by King Sisebut in the early 6th century AD. The Astures continued to rebel, and King Wamba sent an army to the Asturian region 20 years before the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula and the fall of the Visigothic Kingdom. The Astures chose Pelagius of Asturias as their leader and later formed the Kingdom of Asturias.
Legacy
Later, during the early Middle Ages, when the Reconquista began, their name was kept in the medieval kingdom of Asturias and in the modern town of Astorga, León. The town's name still shows its ancient Roman name, Asturica Augusta, which means "Augustan settlement of the Astures."