The Forefathers - The Lusitani

Our story begins around 300 BC on the Iberian Peninsula, 1400 years before the idea of Portugal even existed.

There were several tribes living in modern day Portugal for hundreds of years however most were dependent on the larger Lusitani tribe, a tribe which was to be the heart and soul and building block of the Portuguese DNA.

Iberian Tribes around 300 BC

Tribes living in modern day Portugal

The Lusitani were Iron Age farmers and their main activities were herding, small scale agriculture, hunting and gathering. Pigs, goats, sheep, cattle and small horses were all reared. They ate butter rather than olive oil and drank beer or water, leaving wine only for special festivities. Agriculture consisted of small scale cereal crops together with peas, beans and flax. Chestnuts and acorns were also gathered. The Lusitani lived in small round or square houses made out of stone. Their clothes were made out of wool, hides and skins, which were also used to trade.

Society was based on extended families for residential, economic and religious purposes. Groups of families would form clans, mainly formed through marriages, and inhabited a settlement called a castro. A castro consisted of several stone houses and a space for livestock. One or two stone walls were used for protection however natural hill tops or deep valleys acted as a natural defense. Larger groups of clans lived in oppidas/towns or citanias/small cities.

Citania de Briteiros

Citania de Briteiros

Citania de Briteiros

Citania Sanfins

Citania Sanfins

Citania Sanfins

While the women, older men and children worked on the land and created clothes and jewelry, the men had another task. The men would go out to fight in wars, raids and route robberies. Leaders of clans would elect expeditions or military responsibilities to boost their authority on the basis of personal prestige. Other factors that lead to fighting were the poverty and wealth generated from the latifundiary system. As fighting among clans increased and wars with other tribes intensified the Lusitani turned into fierce warriors and became the dominant force of modern day Portugal.

Lusitani Warrior

Falcata

The Lusitani had contact with other civilisations that brought trade and knowledge with them. One such civilisation were the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians were a maritime trading culture that came from Phoenicia, modern day Lebanon. They left a footprint of settlements and trade nodes all along the Mediterranean and Northern Africa eventually reaching to the coastal areas of Iberia.

Phoenician Trade Empire

Phoenician Traders

The Lusitani absorbed new ideas, techniques and attitudes from the Mediterranean or otherwise known as Orientalisation. The use of iron became more common, mining operations began and wheel-made pottery replaced the hand method. The Phoenicians were interested in precious metals and dyes (especially their favourite purple dye) so they began trading with the Lusitani offering perfumes, unguents, glass, jewelry, pottery, furniture, oil and wine. The Greeks had a limited influence with the Lusitani as well.

Lunula do Corvo

Back over in Phoenicia, the Persians were conquering the Phoenicians which lead them to flee to Carthage and set up a new entity known as Ancient Carthage. The Carthaginians were based in modern day Tunisia. The Carthaginians continued their Phoenician trade culture however due to losing most of their Eastern holdings Carthage decided to take on a different political dimension by conquering a section of Southern Iberia. This resulted in a stronger relationship between the two and a rapid boost for the urban development of the Lusitani.

Carthage

Ancient Carthage

The Lusitani were pagans worshipping many gods, one for each aspect of ancient life. Gods were regional and there were even specific gods for the priests and warriors. The Lusitani practised animals sacrifices, buried the dead either within the family house or around their settlement and created stone carved statues of warriors and animals.

Now that we know about our forefathers, we are now able to learn about a Lusitani man who's name lives on til this very day.

He was a shepherd, then a farmer and then a warrior.

And he was only going to make a name for the history books when he was to come face to face with 4 letters that was marching across Europe spreading fear like a legion of demons.

His name is.....