The people of Lemavi
The Lemavi were a Celtic tribe settled in Gallaecia, in the territory currently known as "Land of Lemos", in the Northwestern corner of the Iberian Peninsula.
As part of the Celtic nations, the Lemavi lived in fortified cities (which the Romans named Castrum), developed a characteristic art, ornamentation and metallurgic, worshiped natural phenomena and pan-Celtic deities such as Lug (thus the name of the nearby city, Lugo).
They are mentioned by Plinius (23 AD - 79) and Claudius Ptolemaeus (c.90 AD - c.168), identifying the latter their capital as Castrum Dactonium. In the year 2007, a group of archaeologists discovered the remains of Dactonium at the highest point of Monforte de Lemos, under the Monastery of San Vicente del Pino. This discovery explains the name of that location (Lemavi > Lemos) and the Monastery ( Dactonium > Actonium (Latin) > Pino (Spanish)), since "Castrum Actonium, quod dicitur Pinus".
*Lemavi is a celtic word with the meaning of "fertile land". The word "lamela" is still used in the Galician language with that meaning.*
The Lemavi were among the first inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula to receive Roman Citizenship (cives Romani). This is a rare honor, as most European inhabitants under Roman rule lived in a state of servitude denominated "ius Latii" or "Latinitas". This means that the Lemavi enjoyed all the rights and privileges of first class citizens of Rome since the early first century, among others:
- Ius sufragiorum: The right to vote in the Roman assemblies.
- Ius honorum: The right to stand for civil or public office.
- Ius comercii: The right to make legal contracts and to hold property as a Roman citizen.
- Ius gentium: Special rights in the dealings with non-citizens and foreigners.
- Ius connubii: The right to have a lawful marriage with a Roman citizen, to have the legal rights of the paterfamilias over the family, and to have the children of any such marriage be counted as Roman citizens.
- Ius migrationis: The right to preserve one's level of citizenship upon relocation to another polis.
- Immunity from some taxes and other legal obligations, especially local rules and regulations.
- The right to sue in the courts.
- The right to have a legal trial (to appear before a proper court and to defend oneself).
- The right to appeal from the decisions of magistrates and to appeal the lower court decisions.
- A Roman citizen could not be tortured or whipped, nor could he receive the death penalty, unless he was found guilty of treason.
- If accused of treason, a Roman citizen had the right to be tried in Rome, and even if sentenced to death, no Roman citizen could be sentenced to die at the cross.
