Celtic Place- and Personal-names in Spain and the Socio-political Structure and Evolution of the Celtiberians

Abstract

In this paper two Celtiberian place- and personal-names are examined: Moericus, the name of a Celtiberian war chief in the Second Punic War, and Complega, a town founded by Celtiberian mavericks and conquerd by praetor Fulvius Flaccus in 182 B.C. This indicates that two very important political and social institutions of the La Tène Celts are documented in Celtiberian Spain at an early date: the armed retinue that accompanied a chief with a name ended in –rix, and the armed mercenary bands that migrated long distances to conquer land and found new townships.