kingdom · Germany and Central Europe

Kingdom of Noricum

200 BCE – 16 BCE (approx.) · capital Noreia

A Celtic kingdom in the eastern Alps, famed for its iron and steel, that became a Roman ally and then a Roman province without a major war.

Origins

Noricum grew out of a union of Celtic tribes in the eastern Alps, led by the Norici, during the 2nd century BCE. Its core lay in modern Carinthia and Styria, around the Magdalensberg and a centre the Romans called Noreia. In 113 BCE Rome defended it against the migrating Cimbri, who defeated a Roman army at Noreia.

Rule and society

The kingdom was ruled by kings over a federation of tribes and was known across the Mediterranean for ferrum Noricum, a high-quality steel produced from local ores. Italian merchants settled at the Magdalensberg trading post, and Noricum minted its own silver coins. Close ties with Rome made it a client kingdom; its king Voccio sent cavalry to Julius Caesar in 49 BCE.

Decline and legacy

Around 16 BCE Noricum was absorbed peacefully into the Roman Empire, becoming the province of Noricum with towns such as Virunum and Celeia. Roman rule lasted until the late 5th century, when the Life of Saint Severinus records the last Roman communities before their evacuation in 488.

Connections (1)

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻