Teurisci was a Dacian tribe at the time of Ptolemy (140 AD).[Dacia: Landscape, Colonization and Romanization by Ioana A Oltean, , 2007, page 46][Thomas H Dyer in Dictionary of Greek and Roman Geography: Iabadius-Zymethus edited by Sir William Smith, Boston, Little Brown and Co. 1857, page 1133] They were originally considered a branch of the Celtic Taurisci (Noricum), who moved to Upper Tisza. However, the archaeology shows that Celts have been absorbed by Dacians, at some point[Dacia: Landscape, Colonization and Romanization by Ioana A Oltean, , 2007, page 47] creating a Celto-Dacian cultural horizon in the upper Tisza.
Name
The name Teurisci is considered a variant of
Taurisci or Tauristae.
Distribution
Taurisci
The Celtic Taurisci were settled in the south-eastern Alps and were known from the name of
Mount Taurus. Due to iron mining, their centers (i.e. Noreia - now Newmarkt and Virunum now Magdalensburg) enjoyed great success in trade and commerce with the Balkans. The lowland Taurisci gradually grew in power and became largely separate from their mountain relatives. Therefore, the inhabitants of this eastern area became known collectively – from the place name Noreia – as Norici and the territory under their control as Noricum.
[Hogain Daithi O. (2007) The Celts: A Chronological History Publisher: Hushion House, page 61]
Teurisci
Teurisci, attested by Ptolemy in Dacia, were originally a group of the Celtic Taurisci from the Austrian Alps established in North-Western Dacia at the end of Iron Age.
[Parvan V, Vulpe R, Vulpe A (2002) Dacia Publisher: Editura 100+1 Gramar, page 165 established]
Historical evidence
In 60 BC, when the king of the Dacians
Burebista succeeded in uniting his own people with their kindred
Getae and Burs into one kingdom he began to put pressure on the Celtic tribes of the Danubian Basin. He advanced against the Taurisci and Boii, gaining his most notable success near to the river Tisza
[Hogain Daithi O. (2007) ‘’The Celts: A Chronological History’’ Publisher: Hushion House, page 140-141] After defeating the Taurisci (Cotini) and Boii, the Dacian King Burebista forced some of them to leave southwestern Slovakia. A Celto-Dacian cultural horizon was created in the conquered territory, Dacian settlement here continued into the second decade of the new era.
[Mannova Elena (1963) Studia historica Slovaca Bratislava : Vydavatel̕stvo Slovenskej Akadémie ]
Posidonius record that, at his time, Celtic (Boii, Scordisci, and Taurisci) were intermingling with Thracians on both sides of the Danube. Later, Strabo (about 20 AD), repeat this piece of information, yet he uses the variant Ligyrisci instead of the Posidinius's variant Teurisci.[Posidonius, Kidd I. G. (2004) 945 " and in my time these tribes, and particularly the Bastarnians, were mixed up with the Thracians, rather more to the north of the Danube, but to the south of it as well. And there was Celtic intermingling with the Thracians, too, from the Boii, Scordisci and Taurisci. Some call the Scordisci Scordistae. And the Taurisci Teurisci or Tauristae.]
According to Ptolemy (140 AD), Teurisci of Dacia bordered Anarti of Dacia on the east. Further east of them were the Dacian Costoboci.[Otto, Karl-Heinz (2000) Ethnographisch-archäologische Zeitschrift, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Institut für Ur- und Frühgeschichte, Deutscher Verlag der Wissenschaften page 525]
Archaeological evidence
About 150 BC, Celtic La Tène material disappears from Dacia. This coincides with the ancient writings which mentioned the rise of the Dacian authority. It ended the Celtic domination and it is possible Celts were thrust out of Dacia. Alternatively, some scholars have proposed that the Transylvanian Celts remained but merged into the local culture and thus ceased to be distinctive
[Koch, John T (2005). ‘’Dacians and Celts’’ in Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia, Volume 1,. ABC-CLIO. ., page 549] The Celtic groups which spread as far as Transylvania had been assimilated by the Dacians.
See also
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List of ancient cities in Thrace and Dacia
Notes
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Koch, John T (2005). ‘’Dacians and Celts’’ in Celtic culture: a historical encyclopedia, Volume 1,. ABC-CLIO. ., page 549
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Mannova Elena (1963) Studia historica Slovaca Bratislava : Vydavatel̕stvo Slovenskej Akadémie
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Oltean, Ioana, (2007) Dacia: Landscape, Colonization and Romanization, Routledge,
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External links
