These ancient people resided mainly in northwest Italy [modern-day northern Tuscany, Liguria, Piedmont, parts of Lombardy, Corsica, and southeastern France]. Some state that the Ligurian realm stretched from the Ebro River in Spain to the Arno River in Italy at its greatest point. The Romans described them as rough, strong, and bold…and barbarian [*S*]. They were fierce warriors who used the Alps and the Apennines to their advantage. Debate among scholars still rages as to the identity of these people. Were they a pre-Indo-European people much like the Iberians, were they of the Celtic realm, or were they some other branch? Before the Romans subdued them in the second century BCE, the Ligurians were heavily influenced by the Gallic Celts, and many believe that a Celto-Ligures culture evolved from the two peoples. Not a great deal of tangible evidence can be found today, but examples of rock engravings and anthropomorphic sculptures are found in Lunigiana and Corsica. Modern-day Lucca, Genoa, and Tortona are believed to be founded by the Ligurians

Along with many Gauls [Insubres, Boii, etc.], the Ligurians allied themselves with Hannibal and the Carthaginians during the Second Punic War [218-202 BCE]. They assisted Hannibal in the Battle of Trebbia in 218 BCE and Hannibal’s brother, Hasdrubal at the Battle of Metaurus in 207 BCE. After the Second Punic War and between 193-191 BCE, Q. Minucius Thermus battled the Ligurians. The Ligurians used mostly guerilla tactics on the Romans during this campaign. Wars between the Ligurians and the Romans began again in 182 BCE and lasted until 154 BCE.

Ancient Times In Italy
Vigorito Genealogy History via Michael Vigorito PhD [Seton Hall University]

Northern Italy after the Second Punic War
Hannibal Barca and the Punic Wars via Hilary Gowen

Livy’s account of Claudius defeating the Ligurians from Livy’s History of Rome

[41.12] Just after the Histrian war had come to an end the Ligurians began to hold councils of war. Tiberius Claudius, who had been praetor the previous year and was now acting as proconsul, was in command of Pisae with one legion He reported the movement in Liguria to the senate, and they decided to send his despatch on to C. Claudius, for the other consul had landed in Sardinia, and they authorised him to transfer his army, if he thought it advisable now that Histria was quiet, to Liguria. After receiving the consul's report of his operations in Histria a two days' thanksgiving was decreed. The other consul, Tiberius Sempronius, was equally successful in Sardinia. He marched into the Ilian country, and finding a large body of Balari had come to the assistance of the Ilians, he fought a pitched battle with the two tribes. The enemy were routed, put to flight and driven out of their camp, 12,000 men being killed. The consul ordered all the arms to be collected on the following day and thrown into one heap. He then burnt them as an offering to Vulcan. The victorious army retired into winter quarters in the friendly cities. On receipt of Tiberius Claudius' despatch and the instructions of the senate, Caius Claudius led his legions into Liguria. The enemy had come down into the plains and was encamped by the river Scultenna. A battle took place there; 15,000 were killed and over 700 were made prisoners, either on the battlefield or in the camp - for this was stormed - and 51 military standards taken. The Ligurians who survived this slaughter fled to the mountains, and no resistance was met with anywhere by the consul as he traversed the level country plundering and devastating their fields. After winning victories over two nations and reducing two provinces to submission during his year of office - a thing which very few have done - Claudius returned to Rome.