tribal confederation · Iberia

Cessetani

500 BCE – 218 BCE (approx.) · capital Kese

The Iberian people of the Tarragona area, in whose land the Romans probably won their first battle in Iberia, at Cissa in 218 BCE.

Origins

The Cessetani, or Cosetani, inhabited the Camp de Tarragona and the lower Penedès in southern Catalonia from about the 5th century BCE. Their main settlement was Kese, usually located at or near Tarragona.

Rule and society

Their territory had fortified settlements such as Alorda Park at Calafell and lived from farming and trade along the coast. Kese minted widely circulated coins with an Iberian legend. Their political structure is not recorded, but they were prosperous enough for both Carthage and Rome to value the area.

Decline and legacy

In 218 BCE Gnaeus Scipio defeated the Carthaginian commander Hanno near Cissa, a town sometimes identified with Kese, and the Romans established their base at Tarraco. The region thus became Rome's first foothold in Iberia, and Tarraco grew into the capital of Hispania Citerior and later Tarraconensis.

Lineage

CessetaniHispania Citerior 197 BCE – 27 BCE

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻