The Carpetani, also called Karpetanoi in Greek, were a group of Celtic people who lived in the Iberian Peninsula before the Romans arrived. Another name for them, used by the writer Polybius, was Karpesioi. Their main area was the land between the Tagus and Anas rivers in the southern Meseta. Farming was more important to the Carpetani's way of life than it was for other nearby groups.

Location

From the 5th century BC, the Carpetani lived in the Toledo and Alcaraz highland areas along the middle Tagus basin. Their territory stretched from the Guadarrama river in the north to the upper Anas (Guadiana) river in the modern provinces of Guadalajara, Toledo, Madrid, and Ciudad Real. This area was called Carpetania in ancient records. Important cities (Civitates) in the region included Toletum (near modern Toledo; coins made by Roman or Celtiberian styles: Tole), Iplacea/Complutum (Alcalá de Henares – Madrid; coins made by Celtiberian styles: Ikezancom Konbouto?), Titulcia (El Cerrón, near modern Titulcia – Madrid), Consabura (Consuegra – Toledo), Barnacis (Orgaz – Ciudad Real; coins made by Celtiberian styles: Bornaiscom), Laminium (Argamasilla de Alba or Alhambra – Ciudad Real), and Alce (Campo de Criptana – Ciudad Real). Other towns of lesser importance were Aebura (Cuerva – Toledo), Metercosa (Madridejos – Toledo), Ispinum (Yepes – Toledo), Miaccum (Casa de Campo – Madrid), Mantua (Montiel – Ciudad Real), Thermida (Trillo – Guadalajara), Ilarcuris (Horche – Guadalajara), and Ilurbida (Lorvigo, near Talavera de la Reina – Toledo).

The exact locations of other Carpetanian towns are not sure or unknown, such as Dipo (near Toledo?), Libora, Varada, Caracca or Characa, Rigusa, Paterniana, and Alternia.

Origins

The origins of the Carpetani people are not clear. However, their leaders had elements from the Celtiberian and Gallic-Belgae groups, whose ancestors came to the Peninsula during the Celtic migration in the 4th century BC. The rest of the population was from the Indo-European group and had a mix of backgrounds, including native Ibero-Tartessian and Indo-Aryan groups. Recent studies of local inscriptions showed that the Carpetani included about twenty-seven tribes: Aelariques, Aeturiques, Arquioci, Acualiques, Bocouriques, Canbarici, Contucianci, Dagencii, Doviliques, Duitiques, Duniques, Elguismiques, Langioci, Longeidoci, Maganiques, Malugeniques, Manuciques, Maureici, Mesici, Metturici, Moenicci, Obisodiques, Pilonicori, Solici, Tirtaliques, Uloques, and Venatioques.

Culture

In archaeological terms, it is now believed that they came from both the transitional Late Bronze Age/early Iron Age "Campiñas de Madrid" farmers and the "Cogotas I" cultural groups.

Only a few Carpetanian towns seem to have created their own money, based on Roman designs that were either directly copied or modified using Celtiberian coin styles. In the 2nd century BC, Iplacea/Complutum and Barnacis made coins with their names written in Celtiberian writing, while later, Toletum made coins with its name written in Latin script.

History

By the late 3rd century BC, the Carpetani had formed a group of tribes working together, with Toletum as their main city. Smaller towns were ruled by local kings called Reguli. Some of these leaders became important in the early 2nd century BC. For example, King Hilernus led a group of Carpetani, Vaccaei, Vettones, and Celtiberians against Roman general Marcus Fulvius near Toletum in 193 BC, but he was defeated and captured. Another leader, Thurrus, who ruled Alce, signed a treaty with Roman general Tiberius Sempronius Gracchus in 179 BC. Before the Second Punic War, the Carpetani fought against Carthaginian forces expanding in central Spain. In 220 BC, Hannibal defeated a combined force of Vaccaei, Olcades, and Carpetani near the Tagus River, completing his control of southern Hispania except for Saguntum. Some Carpetani warriors later joined Carthaginian armies, but 3,000 of them left Hannibal’s forces when he moved to Italy after crossing the Alps, as recorded by Frontinus.

During the Sertorian Wars, the Carpetani stayed loyal to Rome, while their enemies, the Vettones and Celtiberians, supported Quintus Sertorius.

From 197 BC to about 170 years later, the Roman Republic gradually gained control over Hispania. This happened through a mix of economic, diplomatic, and cultural efforts, along with military actions when local groups resisted. The Romans made some native cities pay taxes to Rome and built outposts and colonies to strengthen their rule.