Why did native Sardinian tribes resist Roman rule?

Native Sardinian tribes resisted Roman rule primarily to defend their autonomy and way of life against an encroaching foreign power that sought to treat the island as a conquered territory.1

Following the First Punic War, Rome seized control of Sardinia in 238 BCE. The indigenous population, which had previously been driven into the mountains by Carthaginian military expansion, faced further subjugation under Roman administration. The Romans imposed heavy burdens on the island, including the requirement to pay a sizable tithe in grain, and the island was denied the status of free cities.123

This systemic exploitation and the loss of sovereignty fueled repeated insurrections, particularly among the mountain tribes, who launched major uprisings in 181 and 114 BCE. Even after these rebellions were crushed, the Roman struggle to govern the island persisted for centuries, characterized by frequent administrative instability and the continued prevalence of banditry, which served as a persistent form of resistance against Roman authority.1