HISP 225: Roman Spain

When did Roman Spain take place?

• 3rd Century BCE

• 4th Century CE

• 201 BCE - 418 CE

Where did roman empire begin? When

• city on italian peninsula

• 753 BCE

When did the roman empire reach it’s furhtest extent?

117 CE

What was Iberia known for in Roman Empire?

1. Growth of cities

2. Development of water systems and aquaducts

3. Intellectual development

What was spain called under the Roman Empire?

Hispania

Who was Marcus Aurelias?

• Born in rome

• Ruler that was amongst last of great emperors

What was crisis of 3rd century

• Germanic people’s and barbarians began to put pressure

• political crisis

What was the state of the iberian peninsula after the punic wars?

• Strategic location

• resources

• Eastern secion of the peninsula was already part of the mediterranean world

How fast was the Roman Conquest in Iberia - Hispania?

took over 200 years

• Julius Cesar’s conquest of gual took over a decade

What made the Roman Conquest difficult - why did it take so long?

1. Expansion of Rome in other areas of ancient world

2. Geography of iberian peninsula - tough terrain

3. Political/cultural fragmentation of population

4. Fierce resistance of some societies (Celtiberians - not fully romanized) - tribe rebellions

5. Roman governers had no long-term strategy, preferred personal benefit over fixing conflict

What is the key of the roman conquest?

Success of roman conquest will mean that the main cultural influence in Iberian peninsula would not be celtic or iberian, but roman

Numantia’s resistance

• Best-known case of resistance to roman rule

• 7km north of spanish city of soria

• Collective memory of spain

• Portrayed in modern spanish history and literature

When and what was Numantia’s final siege

• Began 134 BC

• After 8 months, starvation, cannibalism

• Inhabitants committed joint-suicide, preferred over becoming slaves

What was Unified Hispania?

• Roman conquest unified Iberian Peninsula into single political entity

• Marked significant shift in regions governance

How was Hispania divided?

Initially: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior

After progression: Hispania Lusitania, Hispania Baetica, Hispania Tarraconesis

How was tarraconesis divided?

1. Gallaecia

2. Carthagenesis

3. Tarraconesis

→ attempted to disrupt hispania authority

What were the main accomplishments of Unified Hispania?

• Roads and bridges established; allowed for control and connected main towns

  • efficient administration and military movement

• Roman ports: Tarraco, Valentia, Nova Carthago, Gades

  • vital for trade and military logistics

• Integration of empire

  • Linked to the rest of roman empire

  • Facilitated trade, communication, and cultural exchange

What were the accomplishments of roman engineering?

• Urban growth - growth of cities during roman occupation of iberian peninsula, advanced by urban engineering

• Water management - management and distribution of water whithin towns and cities

  • irrigation techniques

  • provided 20,000 lbs of gold ← Las medulas

  • strengthened trade w mediterranean market

What was an iconic example of water engineering during roman empire?

• Roman Aqueduct of Segovia

• Covered 15km distance

What were the Roman engineering principles ?

• Outlined by vitruvius

• De architectura - mid-first century

• Guided roman engineers into creating enduring structures (functional and aesthetically pleasing)

What was the revolution of urban life? Urban patterns

• built upon pre-existing urban centres, and created new ones

• Geometric/rectangular designs

• Urban plan abandoned after fall of roman empire

• will be taken back during renaissance

What are las medulas? (leon, spain)

• cultural landscape

• largest open-pit gold mine

• orange reddish mines

What was the cultural impact of romanization in iberian

• demise of indigenous languages

  • exception of basque, every other pre-roman language disappeared

  • languages spoken today in region including spanish, portugese, and catalan → latin descendants

• Art and design

  • introduced geometric elements, realism, and truthfulness to iberian art

• Literature, theatre, and philosophy

  • Connect iberian penninsula to classical world

  • Seneca and stoicisim

• Law

  • foundation of legal systems

  • unified set of rules of governance

How was religion in the iberian peninsula before roman conquest?

• lack of written records

• diverse religious practices

• polytheism - worship multiple gods

• Animal worship

• Rituals

• Priestly castes - structured sacredotal caste existed amongst iberos, less developed than celts

How was religion after the roman conquest

• continued polytheism

• rituals over beliefs

• gifts and offerings

• religious flexibility

• imperial cult

What was the second religious revolution of christianity?

• arrival of christianity to iberian peninsula

• st paul’s intended visit - desire to visit hispania, no record of journey

• legend of apostle james - brought gospel to hispania around 40 ce, urged by christ

  • foundation of santiago de compostela and initiation of camino de santiago

How were early christian communities?

• establishment: 2nd century

• initial tolerance by roman’s (exception of polytheistic romans)

• conflict with roman tradition

  • christianity: one omnipotent god

  • Roman’s: multiple gods

  • Tension by Martyrdom of Eulalia of Merida

When did christianity establish as a state religion?

• constatine’s conversion: 312 AD, emperor constatine 1 converted to christianity

• Theodosius and state religion: 380 AD, declared christianity as official religion in roman empire

• Authority of bishop in rome: more christian’s in hispania acknowledged authority of bishop in rome

• persecution: 5th century onwards, pagans, jews, and heretical christians faced persecution

What was impact of Roman Empire on Hispania

• Transformed existing cultures

• Integrated into roman framework

What is pax romana?

• period of stablity, pronounced hispania after 1st century CE, providing long era of peace and prosperity

How was stablity of roman hispania disrupted?

• maurentia (modern morocco) tribes attacked baetica

• Migrating germanic war-bands (Franks and Alamani)

• Political instability - hispania and western provinces repudiated allegiance to rome

How was the conclusion of the iberian peninsula - barbarian invasions? Twilight of roman rule

• 5th century

• Decline of military presence in hispania had diminished significantly compared to earlier centuries

• Impact on roman crises: political, military, economic crises affecting rome were felt in hispania

• Decline and fall: Hispania faced heavy taxation to sustain empire

• Lack of strong military force to repel gothic tribes

• Germanic confederacy of people entered empire

  • war, famine, disease = death

• Only tarraconesis remained under roman rule

• Romans got pushed out into african territories

• 476 Western Roman Europe died.

What is augusta emerita?

• present-day merida

• capital of lustiania

• large bridge over guadiana, amphitheatre, theatre, water supply system

• roman capital

• poorest regions today, but richest during roman empire

Saint eulalia of merida

• died a martyr at merida

• defy degree requiring worship of gods

• judge tortured her

• sign of innocence

• white doves flew through the starts

• symbol of innocent soul flying to celestial heights

• shrine then built, popular amongst pilgrims