Roman-Sardinian Wars

Roman-Sardinian Wars
Date238 – 230 BC
226 – 225 BC
217 – 216 BC
181 BC
178 – 172 BC
126 – 122 BC
115 – 111 BC
106 BC
6 – 19 AD
Location
Result

Roman victory

  • Roman failure to pacify the people of the interior (Barbaria)
Territorial
changes
Conquest and occupation of coastal Sardinia, while the interior resists conquest
Belligerents
Roman Republic, succeeded by Roman Empire
Other belligerents:

Allies:
Carthage

The Roman-Sardinian Wars (Latin: Bellum Sardum) were a series of conflicts in Sardinia between the 3rd century BC and the 1st century AD. These wars pitted the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire against the major Sardinian tribes: the Ilienses (later Ioles or Diagesbes), the Balares and the Corsi (located in today's Gallura), in a struggle for control of the coastal cities.

The island, especially the mountainous interior (also known as Barbaria, "land of the Barbarians"), was never completely pacified by the Romans. In contrast, the coasts and the plains, known as Romania ("land of the Romans"), were significantly influenced by the Romans during their centuries of dominion. The Roman presence was eventually eroded by the arrival of the Vandals; however, these new invaders were likewise unable to take control of the interior and consequently settled in the coastal cities for at least 80 years. The Byzantines then arrived in Sardinia, struggling with the peoples of Barbaria for a period, before finally signing a peace treaty with Hospiton, chief of the Ilienses.