tribal confederation · Iberia

Belli

400 BCE – 133 BCE (approx.) · capital Segeda

The Celtiberian people of Segeda, whose new city walls provoked the Roman war of 153 BCE and so moved the start of the Roman year to January.

Origins

The Belli lived in the Jalón and Huerva valleys of modern Zaragoza province from about the 4th century BCE, part of the wider Celtiberian world. Their towns included Segeda and Contrebia Belaisca, the modern Botorrita.

Rule and society

They lived in walled towns with councils of elders and magistrates. The Botorrita bronzes, the longest texts in the Celtiberian language, come from Contrebia Belaisca and record local regulations, while a Latin bronze from the same site records a Roman arbitration of 87 BCE. Their economy rested on farming, herding and metalworking.

Decline and legacy

In 154 BCE Segeda enlarged its walls, which Rome treated as a breach of treaty. To send an army quickly, Rome began the consular year on 1 January 153 BCE. Led by Carus of Segeda, the Celtiberians defeated the consul Nobilior, but after Numantia fell in 133 BCE the Belli were absorbed into Hispania Citerior.

Connections (2)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻