Lecture 2 - Hispania: Roman Spain (3rd c. BCE - 4 c. BCE) Flashcards
Why did the Romans invade the Iberian Peninsula?
Strategic location
Resources
The Eastern section of the Peninsula already was part of the Mediterranean World
Was it a quick process fo the romans to invade the I.P
A Slow, but Continuous Affair: The conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans took over 200 years (Julius Cesar’s conquest of Gaul took a decade)
The process of romans invading the I.P was made difficult due to what
the expansion of Rome into other areas of the Ancient world,
the geography of the Iberian Peninsula,
the political and cultural fragmentation of population, and
the fierce resistance of some societies (especially the Celtiberians –some of which were not fully Romanized)
KEY: The success of the Roman conquest will mean that the main cultural influence in the Iberian Peninsula would be what
not be Celtic (as in other parts of Northern Europe) or “Iberian” (Eastern Mediterranean/North African), but Roman
who put up the biggest resistance against the Romans
Celtiberian town of Numantia (134 BC)
The city of Numantia was where
located about 7 km north of the Spanish city of Soria
The final siege of Numantia began in the year what
134 BC
what drastic measures did the people of numantia do to avoid being slaves
After eight months most of the inhabitants decided to commit suicide rather than become slaves.
what is the expression “Numantine defense”
The expression (a “Numantine defense” still widely used today in Spanish
when they gave up their lives instead of being slaves
KEY: The Roman conquest allowed for the creation of a what
unified political entity in the Iberian Peninsula for the first time in history
even though the roman conquest allowed for the creation of a unified political entity in the Iberian Peninsula for the first time in history , was it all even?
romanization was uneven and some tribes in the North resisted Roman authority
what was the Political division under the roman rule
This political entity was first divided into two provinces (Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior) – After the conquest was complete it was divided into 3-4 provinces (depending on the historical moment): Hispania Lusitania; Hispania Baetica; and Hispania Terraconensis
what was Key for the Roman control of the territory
Roads: development was the creation of a network of roads linking the main towns of the Iberian Peninsula
This network of ROADS and BRIDGES also linked the Peninsula to what
the rest of the Roman Empire
The Iberian Peninsula was linked to the rest of the Mediterranean world through what
Roman Ports, 4 of them
what were the 4 roman ports
Tarraco (Tarragona), Valentia (Valencia), Nova Carthago (Cartagena), and Gades (Cádiz)
how did the romans build urban centres
The Romans built upon pre-existing urban centers, but they created many new ones
New urban centers were often designed according to what
geometric/rectangular designs (Example, Baelo Claudia near Cádiz)
This urban plan the romans had will be abandoned after what
the Fall of the Roman empire (more about this in our next class)
does the urban centres/designs show up again even after the fall of the roman empire
Spanish urban planners will retake it during the Renaissance, and it will strongly influence the design of new cities in the New World
The growth of cities during the Roman occupation of the Iberian Peninsula was in part a result of what
urban engineering
A key element of urban engeneering in Roman towns was what
the management of water
The most dramatic example (of civil/urban engineering) in the Iberian Peninsula is what
the Roman Aqueduct of Segovia (barely 45 min from Madrid by train) .It was constructed in the 1st Century AD
The aqueduct once transported water from where
theRio Frioriver, situated in mountains 17km (11mi) from the city in theLa Acebedaregion. It runs 15km (9.3mi) before arriving in the city.
The construction of the aqueduct follows the principles laid out by who
Vitruviusin hisDe Architecturapublished in the mid-first century.
what are the key changes to culture during all this
the demise of Celtiberian and Iberian languages
art and design
lit., theatre and philosophy
law
explain The demise of Celtiberian and Iberian languages.. what language survived?
of the languages present in the Iberian Peninsula before the Roman invasion only Basque is going to survive – all the other languages present today in the Iberian Peninsula descend directly from Latin
explain how art and design changed during this time
Influence of geometric elements, realism, truthfulness - Roman architecture would leave an important heritage in Spain: from religious temples to civil buildings
explain how Literature, theatre and Philosophy become important during this time
Importance of Roman literature and theatre – Connection with the classical world - Reception of Greek and Hellenist philosophy – The case of Seneca and stoicism
why was law important during this time
Law: Roman Law became the law of the land until the invasion of the Visigoths – it created a unified set of rules for the entire territory
What do we know about Pre-Roman religion in the Iberian Peninsula?
Lack of written records
Multiple religions influenced by different cultural sources (Celt, Eastern Mediterranean)
Polytheism – Sun, lunar, water cults
Animal worship (for instance, bulls)
Libations/offers as a common ritual structure
A structured sacerdotal caste seems to have existed among the Iberos (Eastern Mediterranean), but far less developed among the Celts (Example, Bulls of Guisando, Ávila)
How was Roman religion?
Also polytheistic
More a set of rituals than beliefs
Gifts and offers as key elements of religious life (not individual behavior/conscience – behavior/conscience was left to Philosophy)
Allowed itself to be influenced by other religions (most notably Greek) - This flexibility allowed for the transfer to Roman religious customs and the adaption of local cults to Roman ones
Importance of the Imperial Cult (worship of public leaders)
did the romans try and force their religion upon the people they ruled
no, the wars were political not religious
however people still had to recognize the roman religion and absorb it if they wanted to become citizen and get good benefits
what was the second religious revolution involving
christianity
what was the Arrival of Christianity to the Iberian Peninsula
St Paul intended to visit Hispania(Epistle to the Romans, XV, 24 and 28), but there is no evidence that he made the trip.
According to legend the apostle James –at Christ’s urging–carried the gospel to the country in 40 CE.
Foundation story of Santiago de Compostela and the beginning of the Camino de Santiago (the Way of Saint James) in Northern Spain
were the Christians persecuted b the romans
they were tolerated then persecuted
how did the christians go from being tolerated to persecuted
Probably were already established in the peninsula by the second century –
Persecution by the Romans was at first sporadic (polytheistic tradition of the Romans made them fairly tolerant) –
The insistence of the Christians on serving one omnipotent God undermined the divine status that the Emperors –beginning with Augustus (63 BC–14 AD)– had taken upon themselves (example Martyrdom of Eulalia of Merida and Santa Eulalia of Barcelona, 290-304 AD): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xga5Qzq9_tA
how did christianity become a state religion
In 312, the emperor Constantine I (ruled 307-337) converted to Christianity
In 380, the Spanish-born emperor Theodosius declared Christianity the religion of the Empire
Most Christianized Romans in Hispania recognize the authority of the Bishop of Rome
Persecution of Pagans, Jews, and “heretic” Christians from the 5th Century onwards
who converted to christianity first (emperor)
In 312, the emperor Constantine
who declared Christianity the religion of the Empire
In 380, the Spanish-born emperor Theodosius
when did Persecution of Pagans, Jews, and “heretic” Christians start
from the 5th Century onwards
what is the single most important cultural event in this geographic area (the I.P) of the last 3000 years
The Romanization of the Iberian Peninsula
It changed everything
did any culture present before the romans continue to exist
Some culture traits of the peoples and cultures present before the Romanization continued to exist (especially in the North), but even them were heavily influenced by the Roman presence
what was Pax Romana
The long period of stability known as the “Pax Romana” was particularly acute in Hispania after the 1st Century CE
when was the Roman military presence in Hispania was a fraction
By the 4 AD, Roman military presence in Hispania was a fraction of what had been in previous centuries
The political, military, and economic crises of Rome were felt where
Hispania, but less than in the Northern frontier of the Roman empire
as the Western Roman empire crumbled, Hispania did what to try and stay afloat
became heavily taxed to try to keep it afloat
what would lead to the end of Roman rule in the Iberian Peninsula
Hispania became heavily taxed to try to keep it afloat – This fact together with the lack of a sizable military force able to withstand the advance of the Gothic tribes would lead to the end of Roman rule in the Iberian Peninsula
