tribal confederation · Iberia

Astures

400 BCE – 19 BCE (approx.)

The peoples of Asturias and León, last in Iberia to fall to Rome in 19 BCE, whose land became the empire's great gold-mining district.

Origins

The Astures occupied the lands between the Cantabrian coast and the Douro, in modern Asturias, León and northern Zamora, from about the 4th century BCE. Romans divided them into the Transmontani north of the mountains and the Augustani on the plateau to the south.

Rule and society

They lived in castros, fortified hilltop villages of round stone houses, in many independent communities grouped by kinship. Herding, farming and metalworking supported them, and their mountains held rich gold deposits. Their main stronghold on the plain was Lancia, near León. They spoke a Celtic language.

Decline and legacy

The Astures fought alongside the Cantabri in Augustus' Cantabrian Wars of 29 to 19 BCE. After conquest Rome founded Asturica Augusta (Astorga) and exploited the gold of Las Médulas on a vast scale. Their name survives in Asturias and in the later Kingdom of Asturias.

Lineage

AsturesHispania Tarraconensis 27 BCE – 472 CE

Connections (1)

Astures was conquered by Roman Empire29 BCE – 19 BCE

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Cite this page

APA: The Epoch Institute. (2026). Astures. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/astures
MLA: “Astures.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/astures. Accessed .
Chicago: The Epoch Institute. “Astures.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/astures.
Harvard: The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Astures’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/astures (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻