Celtiberia soriana
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Publio Cornelio Scipio’s siege

Publio Cornelio Scipio’s siege

After twenty years of wars against Numantia (from 153 BC.) the Roman Senate decided to send his most famous general: Scipio Aemilianus (he destroyed the city of Carthage). He came to the zone on October of 134 BC., after devastating the camps of Vaccei of the middle Duero River who gave wine and cereals to peoples of the High Duero.

In the following months with an army of 60,000 warriors (among Italic legionaries and Indigenous auxiliary troops) against 4,000 Numantians enclosed in their city enclosed in their city, been up on the hills that surrounded the city (they are marked with white milestones) joined by powerful walls (vallum) of a 9m perimeter (2,40m wide and about 4,50m high, reinforced with higher towers). Besides in the junction of Duero River with Tera and Merdancho Rivers, he arranged entrenchments with rakes to control the river passage.

After twenty years of resistance and eleven months of siege; Numantia was destroyed during the summer of 133 BC. Many people died and the survivors were sold as slaves.