 |
The
Living History Engineer's
Iberia |
The
Peninsula
of
Iberia
was one of the most prosperous of the
Roman Empire
. It boasted a thriving trade, as well as a
strong road network, and several large urban centers. The
exports were Gold from the Cordillera Cantabrica in Northwestern Spain, Copper
from PaxIlia (Beja -- in modern Portugal), Silver from the Sierra Morena and
Sierra Nevada in Southern Spain, Olive Oil from the area around Italica and
Hispalis (Seville), and Fish Sauce from processing factories set up along the
Southern Coast and from Carthago Nova (Cartagena) a Mediterranean seaport.
A Roman road
came South from Gallia Lugdunensi (France) and
crossed the Pyrenaei Montes (Pyranees
Mountains) close by the Northeastern Coastline of Spain.
The road followed the Coastline South through Emporiae (Ampurius), Tarraco (Tarragona), Carthago Nova and then Westward across the
Sierra Nevada Highlands to Gades (Cadiz) on the Mare Gades. From there the roads
turned North to Italia (the first community of Roman citizens in Spain,
established by Scipio Africanus in the 3rd Century B.C. for the veterans of the
war against Carthage) and Hispalis on the Flumen (River) Guadalquivir and from
there branched to the East, West and continued Northward toward the high
internal plateau of Tarraconensis, and the cities of Toletum (Toledo) on the
Flumen Tagus , Segovia, Caesar Augusta (Saragossa) on the Flumen Iberis Ebro,
From this Northern Point the road network leads to Clunia, Legio (Leon), Augusta
Asturia, Lucus Augusti (Lugo), and the seaport of Brigantium (La Corunna) on the
Mare Cantabricum, and the Oceanus Atlantico in the extreme Northwest Coast of
Iberia.
From Hispalis the road leads East to Pax Iulia, and then Northwest to the West
Coast seaport of Olisipo (Lisbon) at the mouth of the Flumen Tagus. The
road continues North to Scallabis (Santarem) and finally to Bracara Augusta (Braga), before turning toward the Northeast and
linking with the road leading to Brigantium.
Eastward from Hispalis, the road goes to Astigi, and Corduba on the Flumen
Baestis Guadalquivir, and then to the
East Coastal Road
and Carthago Nova.
Tarraco (Tarraconensis), Corduba (Baetica), and
Merida
(
Lusitania
) are Provincial Capitols. There is a
Legion Base at Legio, (close by Asturia Augusta, and the following cities are
seats of Provincial Council; --Lucus Augusti, Asturia Augusta, Braga, Clunia,
Caesar Augusta, Scallibis, Pax Iulia, Hispalis, Astigi and Gades.
The major agricultural and sea-based
exports wine, olive oil and garum (fish sauce) was transported in clay
containers called "amphorae." These containers were shaped like a wide
mouthed jar at the top of the container and were pointed on the other end.
These were sealed at the mouth and shipped cushioned in straw. The pointed
bottom facilitated the use of the container in a counter with a hole cut into it
to allow the amphorae to stand upright. The pointed end often rested in a
wooden block cut to fit.
The provinces of Iberia, boasted of fine stone bridges spanning the various
rivers (such as the still standing bridge over the Flumen Tagus at present day
Alcantara), the great aqueduct of Segovia, and the extensive mines in the area
of Rio Tinto (with their remains of screw pumps and water wheels used to drain
the deep mines of water seepage).
These above structures, with the very
extensive major and minor road network probably indicates that the engineering
skills of the Empire were lavished upon these provinces in grateful response to
the generous exports to Rome of badly needed goods. It is recognized that
Southern Spain was thoroughly Romanized by the time of the final conquest in the
north of Iberia in 19 B.C.
References:
The Penguin Historical Atlas of Ancient Rome," Chris Scarre, Penguin, 1995;
"Roman Spain," Keay S.J., British Museum Pub., 1988;
"Alas of Classical History," Talbert R.J.A., Croom - Helm, 1985.
Note:- The information in these references is taken
from the archaeological findings in the Iberian Peninsula, as well as the
ancient writings of Livy, Polybius, Tacitus and several other writers of the
period
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