12 CIVILIZACIONES BRUTALES DE LA EDAD DEL HIERRO QUE SACUDIERON AL MUNDO
Hablando Historia
[{'start': '0.000', 'end': '6.400', 'text': "Have you ever wondered which civilizations were so brutal, so relentless, that even the great empires trembled at their name? Today we will travel to the Iron Age, a time where power was forged in blood and glory was written in steel. From painted warriors emerging from the mist to empires burning entire cities, you'll discover the peoples who not only challenged the world... but changed it forever. But before we embark on this epic journey, be sure to subscribe to the channel so you don't miss any episode of our series on the most impressive civilizations in history! Then tell us in the comments: what other legendary town would you like us to explore? Now, adjust your armor, because the battle is about to begin! Number 1: Persians – The empire that transformed blood into power At the dawn of the Iron Age, when the world was a chaotic board of glory-hungry kingdoms, a silent force began to grow in the arid lands of Iran. No one, not even the powerful Assyrians, suspected that among scattered tribes and forgotten clans, an empire was brewing that would forever change the destiny of humanity. It all began with a name barely whispered in ancient records: the Persians. Under the Assyrian yoke, they seemed condemned to an eternity of submission. However, the spark of rebellion is born from oppression. In 609 BC, a great revolt broke out. Babylonians, Medes, and Persians joined forces in an act of epic defiance that brought about the collapse of the invincible Assyrian Empire. Among the confusion and spilled blood, a figure shrouded in legend emerged: Achaemenes, the mythical ancestor who gave rise to the Achaemenid dynasty. But the story was just beginning to be written. The real change came with the birth of a child marked by destiny: Ciro. According to Herodotus, the great Greek historian, the dreams of his grandfather, the Median king Astyages, foreshadowed that that infant would one day rule all of Asia. Overcome by fear, he ordered his execution. But life has its own path: the boy was saved by a humble shepherd, growing up in secret among sheep and legends. When Cyrus reached adulthood, he revealed his true identity and ignited the fire of revolution. Not only did he dethrone Astyages, but he demonstrated unprecedented clemency: he spared the life of his oppressor. From that moment on, his rise was unstoppable. Under his command, the Persians conquered Media, defeated the legendary Lydia, and finally took Babylon, absorbing its wealth and prestige. The Persian Empire not only grew; redefined the very idea of \u200b\u200bempire. Cyrus established an advanced administration, respected conquered cultures, and forged a network of roads and communications that linked Asia like never before. But on the horizon, a new enemy was preparing to challenge Persian greatness: the Greeks. And so, the roar of war was just beginning to echo. Number 2: Carthaginians – The implacable masters of the sea In the vast setting of the Mediterranean, where wealth and power traveled in fast ships, a city arose that would become the terror of the seas: Carthage. Born from the ashes of Tyre, an ancient Phoenician city, Carthage rose as a beacon of ambition, ingenuity and brutality. The Carthaginians did not seek only trade; they aspired to dominate. Their fleet, built with naval techniques perfected by generations of Phoenician sailors, quickly became the most feared in the ancient world. For Carthage, the sea was not a barrier: it was its battlefield, its market, its path to absolute dominance. While the Greek city-states faced each other and Rome was just taking its first steps, Carthage extended its influence from North Africa to the coasts of Hispania and Sicily. Where their ships arrived, their merchants, their armies... and their chains also arrived. But his rise would not go unnoticed. The inevitable clash came with Rome, another emerging power that would not accept sharing control of the Mediterranean. Thus began the Punic Wars, an epic conflict where Carthaginian cunning would be tested like never before. Among his heroes, one would rise above all: Aníbal Barca, the strategist who swore eternal hatred of Rome since his childhood. Under his command, the Carthaginians led elephants across the Alps, defying the laws of nature and human imagination. Carthage was ruthless in its methods: they treated their allies as subjects and their enemies as scum. For them, the end justified all the means. They looted, they traded, they conquered... and sometimes, they simply destroyed. However, arrogance also sows its own downfall. Carthage, at its peak, underestimated Roman resilience. A slow and brutal series of defeats would end up sealing his fate. But before being reduced to ashes, Carthage wrote in blood one of the most intense epics in history, demonstrating that, in the sea, only true predators survive. Number 3: Citations – The horsemen who spread terror in the steppe In the vast endless plains of Eurasia, where the wind cut like blades and the horizons seemed ownerless, emerged the Citas: the undisputed masters of the steppe. To civilized empires, these nomadic horsemen were a walking nightmare, impossible to catch, impossible to defeat. The Citas did not build large cities or marble palaces. His home was the horse, his wealth was cattle, and his art was war. Since childhood, each date learned to ride as if it were a natural extension of his own body. In combat, they shot deadly arrows at a full gallop, transforming themselves into deadly shadows that emerged from the dust and disappeared before their enemies could react. His fame crossed mountains and seas. The Persian Empire itself, under Darius I, tried to subdue them. A campaign that, in theory, should have been a triumphant march, turned into a humiliating game of cat and mouse. The Citas simply did not fight head on: they destroyed enemy supplies, poisoned wells, set fire to pastures... and waited. Desperation was his most faithful ally. Their culture, although less known than that of other civilizations, was rich in symbolism of war and death. Lavish burials under kurgans, adorned with weapons, gold jewelry and offerings to the gods of war, showed a people who revered life... and accepted death as a glorious step. Still, his strength lay in more than just his military skill: it was his absolute independence. They recognized no authority other than that of their own clans. They did not follow rules of siege or traditional diplomacy. For them, being free was more important than any treasure or conquest. But the world was changing, and new enemies would emerge. While the great civilizations grew stronger, the Citas would face slow but inevitable extinction, devoured by the same world of violence that they dominated for centuries. Until the last rider, the Citas etched their legend in history: that of a people who rode with the wind and spread terror wherever their shadows were projected. Number 4: Iberians – The indomitable warriors of the end of the world In the western reaches of the known world, where the mountains merge with the sea and the valleys hide ancestral secrets, lived the Iberians: people so fierce that not even the most ruthless conquerors managed to subdue them without paying a price in blood. The Iberians did not form a single kingdom; They were a mosaic of independent tribes, each with its own lineage, its own laws and its own gods. But they shared something essential: a spirit of savage resistance. For them, war was not just a question of power, but a ritual of honor, a test of individual and collective courage. His art, engraved in stone and metal, reveals a world in which the warrior was the center of life. The Iberians forged finely decorated iron weapons , crafted durable armor, and mastered hand-to-hand combat techniques with a ferocity that baffled even the hardened Roman generals. When the Carthaginians arrived looking for allies—or slaves—they first encountered resistance, then forced agreements. But the real clash would come with Rome, whose relentless advance found its bloodiest obstacle in the Iberian Peninsula. Every hill, every forest and every river was transformed into makeshift battlefields. The Iberians did not face Rome in organized formations; Their war was guerrilla warfare: ambushes, lightning attacks, sabotage that wore down the will of the invaders. They were not only fighting for their land; They fought for their ancestral right to be free, to live and die according to their own designs. Each defeat was a seed of new rebellions; each victory, an echo of his fierce determination. It took Rome almost two centuries to completely conquer Hispania. And even then, the indomitable spirit of the Iberians was never completely crushed. Their blood, their rebellion and their legacy survived, intertwining with the future peoples who would build new nations. At the ends of the world, the Iberians demonstrated that the size of the enemy does not matter: as long as there is dirt under the feet and courage in the heart, resistance always finds its way. Number 5: Picts – The untamed ghosts of the fog Beyond the wall that the Roman Empire built to separate civilization from barbarism, in the lands covered in fog and mystery that we know today as Scotland, lived the Picts: warriors shrouded in legends, as wild as the landscape where they were born. The Romans called them “Picti”, the painted ones, due to the tattoos or ritual paintings that covered their bodies. But their mark went beyond their appearance: they were free spirits, impossible to conquer, invisible like the fog that protected their homes among hills, swamps and thick forests. When the Roman armies advanced north , they expected to face primitive and disorganized enemies. What they encountered was relentless, intelligent and fierce resistance. The Picts did not fight in open pitched battles; They attacked from the shadows, struck with brutal violence, and then vanished into the mist like vengeful ghosts. Not even the construction of the imposing Hadrian's Wall, a colossal wall that cut the island from side to side, could stop them. They knew every hidden path, every forgotten step in the indomitable geography of their homeland. For them, the wall was not an obstacle: it was simply another challenge that they knew how to overcome. Their society, although tribal and decentralized, was based on fluid alliances and a deep respect for personal worth. Betrayal was punished with brutality, but honor in combat was celebrated for generations. The Romans tried everything: extermination campaigns , bribes, forced settlements. Nothing worked. The Picts could not be seduced or dominated. They did not desire Roman gold or its luxuries; They wanted their freedom, and were willing to kill themselves and others a thousand times to defend it. Eventually, the Empire would retreat, exhausted and humiliated. The Picts, like their misty lands, would remain: undefeated, indecipherable, eternal. In the annals of history, the Picts live as the echo of an ancient fury, proof that there are people who never kneel, even before the most powerful empires. Number 6: Celts – The Roar of the Ancient Gods In the green valleys and misty forests of Western Europe, resounded a war song as old as the land itself. It was the cry of the Celts, a people of warriors, bards and druids, whose wild spirit and connection with the ancient gods defied any attempt at conquest. The Celts did not build marble empires or leave stone libraries. Their legacy lived on in songs, in swords forged from sacred iron, and in rituals celebrated under the open sky. To them, the natural world was sacred, and war, a fierce dance in honor of their capricious deities. Dressed in bright tunics and often armed only with a shield and their courage, Celtic warriors rushed into battle with an almost mystical fury. It was not uncommon for them to face their enemies completely naked, barely covered by ritual paintings, showing absolute contempt for death. The initial contact of the Celts with great civilizations, such as Rome and Greece, was as brutal as it was fascinating. Roman writers spoke of his ferocity, his love of freedom, and his contempt for civilized norms. For For the Celts, the greatest glory was to die fighting, with the name of their ancestors on their lips. But it wasn't all chaos. The Celts were master craftsmen, creators of exquisite jewelry, swords of unmatched quality, and complex oral law systems. Their societies, although tribal, were organized in clans that celebrated pacts, alliances and rivalries in a social fabric as vibrant as it was dangerous. When Rome decided to expand northward, it encountered fierce resistance from the Celtic peoples. The Gauls sacked Rome in the 4th century BC, leaving an indelible mark on Roman pride. Later, in Britannia, the Celts would plant the seeds of epic rebellions, such as those led by the mythical queen Boudica. But like many bright flames, the roar of the Celtic gods began to fade under the crushing weight of the imperial advance. However, in the echoes of the mountains and in the rivers that cross Europe, the ancient cry of the warriors who never gave up without a fight can still be heard. Number 7: Thrácians – The savage fury that tore empires In the dark valleys and rugged mountains of what is now Bulgaria, Romania and part of Greece, a people arose who lived for war and died for their freedom: the Thrácians. His name, for the ancient Greeks and Romans, evoked images of indomitable savagery, of warriors who preferred death to surrender. The Thracians did not build large empires nor did they aspire to rule vast territories. His life revolved around tribe, blood and honor. Their skill as horsemen and their prowess in hand-to-hand combat made them highly sought after mercenaries, even by those empires that feared facing them on the battlefield. Their warriors were easily recognizable: long hair, war tattoos, curved swords—the famous romphaias—that tore flesh and armor with terrifying brutality. For the Thracians, war was a sacred act, a direct path to immortal glory. Although divided into hundreds of tribes, they were occasionally united under charismatic leaders capable of raising entire armies. One of the most famous was Spartacus, who, born a slave, brought Thracian fury to the heart of Rome, challenging the authority of the Republic with a revolt that shook the foundations of Roman power. The Thracian contempt for comfortable living and their penchant for ritual violence confused their enemies. While the Romans and Greeks valued cities and written laws, the Thracians honored wild nature, promises made in blood , and pacts of honor beyond death. Rome attempted to conquer Thrace again and again, only to encounter brutal resistance after brutal resistance. Each Roman victory was bitter, marred by enormous losses and desperate battles against enemies who fought as if each battle were their last. Eventually, the land of the Thracians would be incorporated into the empire, but its spirit, its challenge to the established order, would not be so easily buried. To the end, the Thracians demonstrated that even the greatest empires could be torn apart under the fury of free peoples. Number 8: Germans – The unstoppable scourge of the frozen north In the dark and frozen lands beyond the Rhine, where the forests seemed endless and the winters broke the will of the strongest, lived the Germans: savage clans that, together, would become the eternal nightmare of Rome. The Germans did not know kings in the traditional sense. They were free men and women, united by blood, honor and tradition. Their loyalty belonged to the clan and the bravest warrior, not to an imposed crown. This decentralized structure made them unpredictable, dangerous and almost impossible to subdue. When Rome extended its borders northward, it underestimated these “barbarian” peoples. The legions, accustomed to facing organized armies, were not prepared for the sudden ambushes, lightning attacks and relentless brutality that the Germans unleashed in the thick of the forests. The most devastating blow came in the Teutoburg Forest, where a German confederate named Arminius, trained in Roman tactics, betrayed his former masters. In a perfect ambush, three Roman legions were annihilated to the last man. The echo of that defeat would reverberate for centuries in the memory of Rome. The Germans did not fight for conquest, but for survival. For them, defending their land was defending their very identity. Each Roman incursion was met with renewed ferocity; Each enemy settlement was a reminder that freedom must be defended without truce or mercy. Despite centuries of wars, fragile pacts and bloody campaigns, Rome never managed to fully dominate the Germanic lands. And when the decline of the Empire became evident, it was the Germans—the Visigoths, the Vandals, the Ostrogoths—who launched the final blow that fragmented the Roman world. The German spirit, forged in the harshness of the frozen north, withstood the test of time. In each battle, in each rebellion, they left an indelible mark: that of a people who preferred to die standing in the forests rather than live kneeling under a foreign banner. Number 9: Lusitanos – The eternal cry of resistance In the rugged lands of the Iberian Peninsula, between untamed mountains and hidden valleys, a people emerged whose name would become synonymous with resistance: the Lusitanos. Warriors by necessity, defenders of their land by conviction, the Lusitanians fought like few others against the implacable machine of the Roman Empire. The Lusitanians were neither an empire nor an organized kingdom. They were free tribes, united by a language, common customs and a fierce love for their independence. They lived off the land, hunting, herding... and war, when necessary. Their knowledge of the terrain and their ability to disappear into the wilderness gave them a deadly advantage against any invading army. When Rome attempted to subdue the region, it thought it would be a quick campaign. Little did they know that they would face one of the most legendary leaders in ancient history: Viriato. Former shepherd turned warrior, Viriato became the living symbol of Lusitanian rebellion. With masterfully executed guerrilla tactics, ruthless ambushes, and a deep knowledge of the terrain, Viriathus and his men repeatedly defeated Roman armies , humiliating generals who had excelled in other campaigns. Rome's elite, accustomed to victory, watched with horror as their morale and resources bled to death in the Lusitanian mountains. The war was not just physical; It was also psychological. The Lusitanians demonstrated that no empire, no matter how vast, could break the will of a people determined to resist. Each Lusitanian victory was a song to freedom; every Roman defeat, a reminder that arrogance was a double-edged sword. Finally, unable to defeat Viriathus on the battlefield, Rome resorted to betrayal. Viriato was murdered in his sleep, betrayed by men who believed they had bought his freedom. But although the leader fell, the spirit of the Lusitanians was never quenched. Their cry of resistance continues to echo through the centuries, reminding us that freedom is a treasure that neither steel nor gold can buy. Number 10: Byzantines – The last bastion of a world in ruins When the Roman colossus began to crumble under the weight of its own corruption and the pressure of implacable enemies, a new beacon of civilization was lit in the East: Byzantium. What many believed would be just a shadow of the old empire became a giant in its own right: the Byzantine Empire, the last bastion of a world that was falling apart. Founded on the ashes of Rome, Constantinople became the most precious jewel of the eastern Mediterranean. Protected by walls that were impossible to breach, a formidable fleet and diplomacy as sharp as any sword, the city withstood centuries of siege, intrigue and war. The Byzantines were not simply heirs of Rome; They were a new civilization that mixed the old with the innovative. His army, led by generals such as Belisarius and Narses, perfected the art of defensive warfare and offensive. Their elite cavalry, the cataphracts, were the terror of the battlefields, combining heavy armor and lethal shock tactics. But Byzantium's true weapon was its strategic intelligence. They knew when to fight, when to buy allies, and when to play enemies against each other. His diplomacy maintained a delicate balance of power between the barbarians of the north, the Persians of the east, and internal threats that never went away. At its peak, the Byzantine Empire recaptured vast swathes of the former Roman Empire, from Italy to North Africa. And although defeats also marked their history, they never stopped being a force to be respected, even when enemies seemed to multiply incessantly. More than any sword or treaty, it was its ability to adapt—to embrace change without losing its essence— that allowed Byzantium to endure much longer than its Roman predecessor. However, history does not forgive eternal weakness. New threats loomed on the horizon, and as Constantinople shone like a beacon, the shadows of the medieval world drew inexorably closer. The Byzantines, the last guardians of classical antiquity, defended their legacy to the end, demonstrating that even in a world in ruins, the human spirit can stand defiantly against the darkness. Number 11: Sassânidas – The Persian roar that challenged Rome When the echo of the ancient Achaemenids seemed to have faded into the sands of time, a new dynasty arose in Persia to return pride and power to their land: the Sassânidas. With a roar that shook the ancient world, they challenged Rome on its own turf and rekindled the dream of an indomitable Persian empire. Founded by Ardashir I, the Sassânids not only restored lost glory, but transformed Persia into a renewed superpower. In its palaces adorned with marble and mosaics, a civilization was woven that combined military force with a sophisticated culture, where the Zoroastrian religion guided both the throne and the swords. The Sassanid emperors saw themselves not only as rulers, but as guardians of a sacred order. And they were not afraid to face the giants of their time. Rome, at its greatest extent, discovered that to the east, beyond the Euphrates, there existed an enemy worthy of respect... and fear. The wars between Rome and Persia became cyclical, endless. Each truce was only the prelude to a new conflict. Epic battles like that of Edessa, where the Roman Emperor Valerian was captured alive by King Shapur I, left deep scars on Roman pride. The Sassanid war machine was as impressive as their diplomacy was astute. War elephants, heavy cavalry, and a strategic fortress system made any attempted invasion a protracted suicide. And when war was not convenient, the Sassanids knew how to manipulate their enemies from the shadows, playing with alliances and betrayals like masters on a bloody chess board. For more than four centuries, the Sassânids maintained the balance of power in the Middle East, serving as a retaining wall for both the Romans and, later, the new emerging forces of Islam. Finally, it would not be Rome that would defeat them, but a new and overwhelming enemy: the Arab conquests. But until their last breath, the Sassanids demonstrated that the flame of Persia could never be easily extinguished. Number 12: Goths, Visigoths and Ostrogoths – The gravediggers of an empire When the weight of centuries broke the foundations of Rome, it was not time or corruption that dealt the final blow. It was the Goths, and their Visigothic and Ostrogothic branches, who sealed the fate of the empire that was once believed to be eternal. Originally from the cold lands beyond the Danube, the Goths were a people hardened by adversity. His life was a constant back-and-forth between migration, war and survival. Driven by pressure from other nomadic peoples, such as the Huns, they moved en masse towards the Roman borders, searching for fertile lands… and a future. Rome, weakened and divided, saw these desperate and proud hordes arrive. Some emperors tried to integrate them as allies, granting them land in exchange for military service. But the tension was inevitable. Roman abuse, hunger and contempt lit the spark of rebellion. Under Alaric's leadership, the Visigoths accomplished the unthinkable: in 410, they sacked Rome. For the first time in almost 800 years, the Eternal City fell to foreign invaders. It was a blow not only military, but psychological. The myth of Roman invincibility was collapsing under the footsteps of Gothic boots. Meanwhile, the Ostrogoths, led by Theodoric the Great, would build their own kingdom on the ruins of Roman power in Italy, combining Germanic traditions with Roman sophistication to create a hybrid legacy that would influence the birth of medieval Europe. The Goths were not simply destroyers; They were also builders of a new order. Their heritage lived on in laws, in art, in the very fabric of the kingdoms that would emerge after the imperial collapse. But for Rome, the damage was irreversible. What was once a beacon of civilization was reduced to fragments, as new forces shaped the continent. Thus, the Goths, Visigoths and Ostrogoths not only buried an empire: they marked the birth of a new era, in which the ancient world would give way to the turbulent and fascinating medieval world. Each civilization narrated here was a fragment of that violent and fascinating mosaic that gave rise to the modern world. Some succumbed to more powerful empires, others evolved, and some simply disappeared into the mists of time. But his legacy, his indomitable spirit, lives on in our languages, our laws and our cultures. Because history is not a tale of winners and losers: it is a river of struggles, sacrifices and dreams that never stop flowing. Thanks for watching this far! If you liked this video and are passionate about this type of content, subscribe to the channel so you don't miss the next videos and discover more fascinating stories. See you in the next video!"}]