European Kingdoms

Vestini (Sabellians) (Italics)

Indo-Europeans - Italic Tribes (Intro) Anatolian Tribes Balkans Tribes Baltic Tribes Celtic Tribes Germanic Tribes Italic Tribes Indo-Iranian/Aryan Tribes Slavic Tribes Tocharians (Intro)

What are generally known as West Indo-European tribes arrived at the eastern edge of Central Europe around 2500 BC. Their northern group later became the proto-Celts of the Urnfield culture while the southern group seemingly migrated westwards and southwards, reaching Iberia, Illyria, and northern Italy.

Already further divided into semi-isolated tribes, they became more civilised in their habits and available forms of technology due to contact with southern Greeks and Etruscans. In the period between the eleventh to eighth centuries BC some of those groups in Illyria crossed by sea into the Italian peninsula and settled along the south-eastern coast.

Those who had entered peninsular Italy via the north Italian piedmont gradually migrated southwards to occupy much of the rest of eastern and central Italy. These tribes all formed part of a general group which are known as Italics, seemingly part of the main population of West Indo-Europeans prior to the emergence of Celtic culture.

The Vestini were a group of Italics who who settled in Italy during the Italian Iron Age. They were located in the eastern centre of Italy, in the modern Abruzzo region, neighboured by the Umbri and Picentes to the north and north-east, the Paeligni, Marrucini, and Frentani to the south, and the Marsi and Sabini to the west.

The Oscan-Umbrian group of which the Vestini were part are largely accepted as being Indo-Europeans (perhaps proto-Celts) who migrated into the peninsula from the north. They settled in mountainous communities between the Gran Sasso d'Italia mountain (the highest peak in the Apennines - and see feature link for its naming) and the northern bank of the River Aternus (the modern Aterno).

Primary settlements for the tribe could be found at Aternum (Pescara, which was shared with the Marrucini), Aufinum (modern Ofena), Peltuinum (modern Prata d'Ansidonia), Pinna (modern Penne), and Pitinum (near modern L'Aquila).

Principal author(s): Page created: Page last updated:

(Information by Peter Kessler, with additional information by Edward Dawson, from Researches into the Physical History of Mankind, Vol 3, Issue 1, James Cowles Prichard, from An Historical Geography of Europe, Norman J G Pounds (Abridged Version), from The Roman History: From Romulus and the Foundation of Rome to the Reign of the Emperor Tiberius, Velleius Paterculus, J C Yardley, & Anthony A Barrett, from A Genetic Signal of Central European Celtic Ancestry, David K Faux, from The Horse, the Wheel, and Language: How Bronze-Age Riders from the Eurasian Steppes Shaped the Modern World, David W Anthony, from The History of Rome, Volume 1, Titus Livius (translated by Rev Canon Roberts), from The Histories, Herodotus (Penguin, 1996), from Encyclopaedia Britannica (Eleventh Edition, Cambridge (England), 1910), from Encyclopaedia of the Roman Empire, Matthew Bunson (1994), from Geography, Ptolemy, and from External Links: The Beaker phenomenon and the genomic transformation of northwest Europe (Nature), and Massive migration from the steppe was a source for Indo-European languages in Europe (Nature.com), and Indo-European Chronology - Countries and Peoples, and Indo-European Etymological Dictionary, J Pokorny, and Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography, William Smith (1854, Perseus Digital Library), and The Natural History, Pliny the Elder (John Bostock, Ed), and Geography, Strabo (H C Hamilton & W Falconer, London, 1903, Perseus Online Edition), and L'Arbre Celtique (The Celtic Tree, in French), and Historisches Lexikon der Schweiz or Dictionnaire Historique de la Suisse or Dizionario Storico dell Svizzera (in German, French, and Italian respectively), and Le Alpi (Università di Trento), and Pleiades (Ancient World Mapping Center and Institute for the Study of the Ancient World).)

c.900s BC

The region of central-eastern Italy is settled by an Italic people who become known as the Picentes. Strabo claims that they are part of a group known as the Sabellians (along with the Marrucini, Marsi, Sabini, Samnites, and Vestini). They possibly eject mixed settlements of Siculi and Liburni to take the land, pushing the former inhabitants southwards.

This map shows the greatest extent of Etruscan influence in Italy, during the seventh to fifth centuries BC, including the Campania region to the south (click or tap on map to view full sized)

9th - 7th century BC

With the beginning of the Italian Iron Age, signs of territorial variation begin to emerge, although the gradual differentiation between a western area, an eastern area, and an Alpine area will only acquire more consistency in the seventh century BC. This is the Golasecca I A period.

Probably by this period the Frentani have occupied the territory in the modern region of Molise, on the Adriatic coast, immediately north of the Gargano promontory. Their territory puts them up against the Marrucini and Vestini.

6th century BC

The 'Warrior of Capestrano' is a larger than life Vestini sculpture which dates from this century (or possibly to the fifth or fourth century BC - opinion is divided). It is discovered by archaeologists in 1934 in Capestrano, which in the Iron Age is within Vestini territory.

The Capestrano Warrior depicts one of the last Vestini kings of Abruzzi, suggesting a line of predecessors who have been lost to history

The product of sculptor Aninus, it represents the so-called 'King of the Vestini', Naevius Pompuledius, and also tantalisingly names him as one of the last kings of the people of Abruzzi, leaving the remaining kings, both before and after, unnamed and forgotten.

6th century BC

'King of the Vestini'. One of the last kings of Abruzzi.

c.580 BC

By this stage, the Samnites are undoubted masters of the central southern Apennines, probably having evicted or absorbed any remaining Opici and pushing their remnants towards the Tyrrhenian coast of Italy.

The Opici appear quickly to disintegrate as a recognisable group, with this process seemingly speeded up by their fragmentation into various smaller groups which include the Aequi, Brutii, Hernici, Lucani, Marrucini, Marsi, Picentes, Sabini, Samnites, Vestini, and Volsci. This process occurs between the tenth and sixth centuries BC.

The Opici probably dominated much of Campania to start with, but were pushed out of the eastern parts by the Samnites, dominated themselves by the Etruscans, and then defeated by Rome

325 - 304 BC

The Second Samnite War is triggered against Rome, and the Samnite commander, Gaius Pontius, leads a force of around 9,000, including a thousand cavalry, with which he wins several early victories. When the Samnites are finally defeated in 304 BC, their confederates, the Frentani, Marsi, Marrucini, and Paeligni, voluntarily accept their reintegration into Roman administrative rule.

All the other Samnite allies are also subjugated by Rome. This period proves to be the end for the Golasecca culture within the Italian Iron Age.

In fact, the Frentani seem to be politically connected far more closely to the Marrucini, Paeligni, and Vestini than with the Samnites by now. The Vestini themselves agree an alliance with Rome in 302 BC in which they retain their independence and issue their own coins.

Roman military tactics may have owed something to the Samnites, with this efficient and seasoned warrior force matching the Romans and bettering them in the fourth century BC

c.290 BC

Despite the Vestini retaining their independence from Rome through a joint agreement, a Latin colony is still founded within Vestini territory. Livy mentions the founding of Hadria (modern Atria) around this time, but despite this infringement, the Vestini language survives into the middle of the second century BC at least, before it is submerged by Latin dominance. When the Vestini do start to speak Latin, it is the form which is used by the Aequi and Marsi rather than that of Rome.

218 - 202 BC

The Second Punic War is fought against Carthage. Rome is aided by its Etruscan, Picene, and Umbrian forces, but Italy is invaded by Hannibal Barca and a Roman army is massacred at the Battle of Cannae, killing sixty thousand.

91 - 89 BC

Along with the Etruscans, Lucani, Marrucini, Marsi, Paeligni, Picentes, and Vestini, the Samnites fight the Social War (Italian War, or Marsic War) against Rome. For once, the Frentani also join in opposition to Rome, but they appear to agree terms early on, along with the Latins and Umbri, and play little part in a war that is the result of increasing inequality in Roman land ownership.

Early Rome would have looked more like a large, walled village than the collection of grand stone edifices which are more familiar from the imperial period

The spark for conflict is delivered by the assassination of the reforming Marcus Livius Drusus, whose efforts would have led to citizenship for all of Rome's allies.

91 - 89 BC

Probably the Vestini leader during the Social War.

89 - 88 BC

Although defeated, the Italic tribes are granted the Roman citizenship which had previously been withheld from them. The fate of Gaius Pontidius is unknown, although most of his colleagues are killed in action between these dates.