Iberian Peninsula Colonization

• The Iberian Peninsula was inhabited by various peoples starting at the end of the 1st millennium BC

Colonizing Peoples of the Peninsula

• Indo-Europeans came from the north and central Europe, settled in the northern half of the peninsula, and introduced their language, the plow, and iron metallurgy
• The Phoenicians sailed from Lebanon seeking metals like gold and tin to trade, bringing currency, the alphabet, the potter's wheel, and writing
• The Phoenicians founded Gadir (Cádiz) and Malaca (Málaga)
• The Greeks came from Phocaea (Turkey), bringing their writing, currency, art, and agriculture in search of new markets
• The Greeks founded Hemeroskopeion (Denia), Emporion (Ampurias), and Rodhes (Rosas)
• The Carthaginians came from North Africa and were a colony that conquered the Western Mediterranean
• They took advantage of the fall of Phoenician cities to the Persian Empire and founded Cartago Nova (Cartagena) and Ebussus (Ibiza)

Pre-Roman Peoples

• The Tartessians inhabited the Guadalquivir Valley between the 9th and 6th centuries BC
• Their socio-economic structure was organized with an economy thriving due to contact with Greeks and Phoenicians
• The Tartessians provided cattle, bronze, and silver in exchange for fabrics, amber, ceramics, and other oriental objects
• The Tartessian society was hierarchical, with a king and a military oligarchy/aristocracy dominating the population
• The Tartessian monarchy disappeared in the 6th century BC due to Carthaginian presence
• Tartessian culture was influenced by the East, featuring its writing and high-quality art

Other Peoples Inhabiting the Iberian Peninsula

• Northern or Celtic peoples lived in the north and west of the peninsula in small, circular dwellings called "castros" and organized in clans with a family structure
• Their economy was based on agriculture and livestock, and their religion was based on the forces of nature
• Celtiberian peoples inhabited the central area of the peninsula, influenced by both Celts and Iberians and living in cities or castros depending on the area
• Their organization was tribal, they worked in livestock, and their religion was influenced by that of the Celtic peoples
• Other Celtiberian peoples lived in the south and on the Mediterranean coast, in walled city-states with an aristocratic/oligarchic and slave-based society
• Their economy was based on agriculture, mining, and trade, and they developed their writing and a polytheistic religion due to the influence of colonizing peoples

The Roman Conquest

• The Romans arrived on the Iberian Peninsula in 218 BC during the Second Punic War between Rome and Carthage for control of the Mediterranean
• The occupation occurred in phases:
  • The first stage began in 218 BC with the landing in Ampurias and victory in Ilipa in 206 BC, ending Carthaginian control in Hispania
  • Romans quickly established themselves in the south and east of the peninsula
  • Romans occupied the interior of the peninsula
  • Under Octavius Augustus, Rome dominated the northern peoples

Roman Organization of Hispania

• The conquest of Hispania subjected the peninsular peoples to Roman authority, and different treatments were given

Roman Views on Conquered People

• Peoples who resisted were forced to pay tributes and provide soldiers for the army
• Peoples who peacefully submitted were under Rome's protection and had some privileges, such as exemption from tax burdens
• Romans founded cities in Hispania called "Colonies," whose inhabitants had rights as citizens
• The conquered territory was divided into provinces of the Roman Empire, and Hispania was organized into different provincial divisions throughout the centuries of occupation

Roman Achievements

• Romans intensively exploited Hispania's resources, leading to significant agricultural development and mining wealth, while craftsmanship and trade were also important
• The entire economic structure was organized through a network of roads, with the Vía Augusta traversing Andalusia and the Mediterranean coast, and the Vía de la Plata connecting Emérita Augusta (Mérida) with Asturica Augusta (Astorga)

Roman Influence

• Like other areas of the Roman Empire, Hispania experienced a process of Romanization where cities and legions as fundamental
• Complutum (Alcalá de Henares) and Tarraco (Tarragona) were Roman cities and museums hold peninsular Roman remains

Roman Baetica

• During the Second Punic War, Rome sent Scipio to the Peninsula to fight the Carthaginians
• Romans were victorious in 207 BC in Ilipa (Alcalá del Río) and conquered Gades (Cádiz) two years later
• Roman settlement meant that the territory was incorporated into Rome as Baetica, originating from the Betis River, now the Guadalquivir River
• Romanization was favored by the founding of numerous cities like Itálica (206 BC) in Santiponce (Seville), Corduba (Córdoba), and Hispalis (Seville)

The Betic Economic System

• Baetica became integrated into the Roman economic system with active trade between Baetica and Rome through ports like Gades or Malaca, and included diverse economic activities that included,
  • Mining silver from Cástulo (Linares), copper from Riotinto (Huelva), and gold from the Darro and Genil rivers (Granada)
  • Agriculture saw advancements in plowing and irrigation systems allowing Rome to export oil, wheat, and wine
  • Obtaining salt on the Andalusian coasts, the salting of fish, and the production of a sauce called "garum"

Roman Art in Andalusia

• Roman architecture included amphitheaters, temples, and theaters such as Italica or Baelo Claudia
• Romans constructed engineering works like bridges, aqueducts, and paved roads
• Romans created high-quality paint and mosaics to decorate homes

Germanic Peoples During the Peninsula Invasion

• The crisis of the Roman Empire in the 3rd century impacted Spain, causing an economic recession and the invasion of various Germanic peoples
• Visigoths were the ones who ultimately settled there