After the end of the Punic Wars in the third century BC, Rome 
focused all its strength on conquering the Iberian Peninsula. 
Initially, the invasion was successful and Rome conquered most 
of the peninsula with relative ease.

Led by Consul Servius Sulpicius Galba, Roman troops proceeded to
eliminate the last remnants of the Lusitan resistance. 
Fearing the destruction of their lands, the Lusitans sent an 
emissary to Consul Galba requesting an armistice. 
Galba obliged, suspending the Roman offensive and promising to 
leave the remainder of the peninsula to the Lusitanians.

As it turned out, Galba had lied. When the Lusitanians attempted to
claim the lands they were promised, Galba's army was waiting for them.
The unarmed Lusitanians were killed in massive numbers. 
A man named Viriathus was among the few who managed to escape the
massacre.

After losing such a substantial amount of troops, Lusitanian military
leaders were prepared to negotiate a new treaty with their enemies. 
Viriathus, however, hadn't forgotten Galba's treachery. 
Instead of a treaty, he suggested a counteroffensive. The Lusitanians
supported this idea wholeheartedly.

Viriathus and the Lusitan army were severely outmatched by the 
better-armed and better-organized Romans, so Viriathus utilized 
guerilla tactics, orchestrating imaginative ambushes and clever 
flanks. Charging forward with iron spears, short swords, and
resounding warcries, the Lusitanians left a trail of enemy armies
in their wake, freeing the Iberian Peninsula from Roman control.