Olcades

The Olcades were an ancient stock-raising pre-Roman people from Hispania, who lived to the west of the Turboletae in the southeastern fringe of the Iberian system mountains.

It is believed that the latter sprang from the Volcae Tectosages of southern Gaul, who arrived in Iberia in the wake of the Celtic migrations of the 4th Century BC.

[1][2] From the 4th century BC, they occupied most of the modern province of Cuenca, along with the southern tip of Guadalajara and the western fringe of Valencia, where their capital Cartala[3] (Los Villares, near Caudete de las Fuentes; Iberian-type mint: Kelin) – also designated Althea or Althia,[4] and Altaia by some Greek authors – was sited.

Archeological evidence recovered from local cemeteries, such as Buenache and Olmedilla de Alarcón, indicates that the Olcades' culture was strongly influenced by contacts with southern Iberian, Phoenician, Etruscan and Greek traders; indeed, they are considered to have been responsible for the cultural ‘Iberianization’ of neighbouring Celtiberia and Carpetania during the 2nd Iron Age.

Not only did the Praetor of Hispania Citerior, Gaius Valerius Flaccus, founded the military colony of Valeria (Las Valeras – Cuenca) in 92 BC on Olcadian territory after obtaining a great victory over the Celtiberians in the previous year,[8] but he also divided it among Rome's own Edetani and Celtiberian allies, forcing the Olcades to merge with the latter.