Spanish History and Culture

Ancient History

17th February – 4th March

Elena Sol Jiménez
 Pre-roman Iberian Peninsula
and the Roman Conquest
1. Geography and Chronology of the Ancient IP
2. Documentary resorces available
3. Roman Presence in the IP
Greek and Phoenician Colonies and Trade (X-VI centuries BC)
Chronology of the Ancient IP
Protohistory (Bronze Age/Iron Age) History

Roman
Tartessos (Phoenician influence) Cartaginian influence Roman Conquest
isation
ANCIENT HISTORY OF THE IBERIAN PENINSULA

AUGUSTUS
ROMAN REPUBLIC (509- 1st cent. BC)
(27 – 14 AD)

Foundation of Foundation of First Punic War Second Punic War Conquest

Gadir (1100 BC) Ampurias (800 BC) (264-241 BC) (218 BC) (19 BC)
Carthage and Hispania before Barca family
(6th-3rd cents. BC)
• Economical changes in Western Mediterranean Sea: growing
importance of Rome and Carthage
• Decline of Tartesos and western Phoenician cultures: strong
presence of Cartaginian trade and influence in the south of the
Iberian Peninsula
• Few remainings of this time: tartessian and cartaginian cultures
boundaries are blurred
• Cartaginian supremacy in the Iberian Peninsula from 6th cent. BC
that suffers a decline after the First Punic War (3rd cent. BC)
❖Cartaginian literary sources have been lost
But while fully alive to these points, they yet saw that Carthaginian
aggrandisement was not confined to Libya, but had embraced
many districts in Iberia as well; and that Carthage was, besides,
mistress of all the islands in the Sardinian and Tyrrhenian seas: they
were beginning, therefore, to be exceedingly anxious lest, if the
Carthaginians became masters of Sicily also, they should find them
very dangerous and formidable neighbours, surrounding them as
they would on every side, and occupying a position which
commanded all the coasts of Italy.
Polybius, Hist. 1.10,5
First Punic
War (264-
241 BC)
• Mamertines bands in
Messana
• Hiero II of Syracuse
(Greek colony)
• Mamertines ask for
Rome’s help → casus beli

• Alliance between
Carthage and Syracuse
First Punic War (264-241 BC)

• Hiero II breaks the Alliance and signs a peace treaty with Rome
• Siege of Agrigento (261 BC)
• Winter of 261-260: Rome builds its own armada, inspired on
Cartaginian ships → introduction of corvi
• Battle of Mylae (260 BC) first naval victory of Rome
First Punic War (264-241 BC)
• Roman expedition to Africa (256 BC) military disaster

→HAMILCAR BARCA (c. 275-228 BC)

• He arrives to Sicilia in 247 BC.
• Roman victory in Egades Islands (241) → shameful peace for
Carthage
5th treatise between Rome and Carthage → huge war compensation
→ Sicilia becomes the first roman province
Inter-war period (241-218 BC)
• War of the mercenaries (241-238
BC)
• Rome takes Corsica and Sardinia
238-231 BC (6th treatise between
Rome and Carthage)

• Expansion of both Rome and

Carthage towards the Iberian
Peninsula
Carthaginians in the Iberian Peninsula
• Phoenician colony: enormous commercial and agricultural profits →
regional supremacy – Maritime empire (5th-3rd century BC).
• Carthaginians heirs of the Phoenicians colonists = Punic
• Commercial republic: prosperous oligarchic ruling class (interests on
agricultural and commercial activities).
• No army like the Roman: hired mercenaries.
• Rivalry against Rome (3rd century BC) by this time Rome controlled the
hole Italian Peninsula and had interests in Sicily → First Punic War (264-241
BC): loss of Sicily, Corsica and Sardinia.
• Carthaginian invasion of the Iberian Peninsula (237 BC): to obtain new
resources and strengthen herself regarding an imminent war against Rome.
Foundation of Carthago Nova (227 BC): represented the capital of the
Punic empire in Hispania.
Inter-war period (241-218 BC)

• Hamilcar Barca dies in 228 BC → Hasdrubal the Fair (his son

in law)
• Foundation of Cartago Nova (228 BC)

❖Hasdrubal the Fair signs the “Ebro Treaty” in 226 BC (7th)

• Not to cross the river “Iber”
• Hasdrubal dies in 221 BC
Second Punic War (218-201 BC)
• HANNIBAL BARCA (247-c.182 BC)
• He attacks Sagunto→ casus belli

HAMILCAR
Barca

Hasdrubal HANNIBAL Hasdrubal Magon

the Fair BARCA Barca Barca
Finally, Hannibal in his turn crossed the river and attacked the
barbarians, putting to flight a force of more than one hundred
thousand. After their defeat none of the peoples on that side of the
Ebro ventured lightly to face the Carthaginians, with the exception of
the Saguntines. Hannibal tried as far as he could to keep his hands off
this city, wishing to give the Romans no avowed pretext for war, until
he had secured his possession of all the rest of the country, following
in this his father Hamilcar's suggestions and advice.(…)
The Romans protested against his attacking Saguntum, which they
said was under their protection, or crossing the Ebro, contrary to the
treaty engagements entered into in Hasdrubal's time.

Polybius, Hist. 3.14-15