Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula

Long ago, Rome took over a new land.

This land was the Iberian Peninsula. Many groups lived there first. Some groups were from Carthage.

Rome fought many wars to take the land. They won a big war in 206 BC. After that, Rome stayed in the south and east.

Rome grew their control slowly. They built new towns and outposts. They also made new rules for the people.

Later, a leader named Augustus took over. He made the whole land part of Rome.

It took many years to finish. The land became a big part of the Roman world.

Long ago, many groups lived in the Iberian Peninsula. Some groups were from Carthage. This was a powerful empire.

Rome and Carthage fought a big war. This was the Second Punic War. A leader named Hannibal fought for Carthage. He attacked a city called Saguntum. This attack started the war.

Rome sent soldiers to the land. A leader named Scipio led them. In 206 BC, Rome won a big fight. They took the lands in the south and east. Rome did not take everything at once. They grew their power slowly. They built new towns and outposts. They also used trade and new laws. This helped local tribes join Roman culture.

Later, a man named Augustus became the first emperor. He finished the work of the Republic. He took control of the whole peninsula in 19 BC. He made new ways to rule the land. He divided the land into new parts. This made the area a strong part of the Roman Empire.

The Iberian Peninsula is a large piece of land in Europe. Long ago, many different tribes lived there. These included the Celtic, Iberian, Celtiberian, and Aquitanian people. Other groups like the Carthaginians also held land in the south and east.

Rome wanted to grow its power in this area. This led to a long struggle for control. The history of this place changed many times through war and trade.

Control of the land happened in a slow way. It was not just one single fight. Instead, it was a mix of many things. Rome used its army to stop people who resisted. They also used trade and new laws to spread their way of life.

Rome built new towns called colonies. They also made some cities pay them money. This helped the Roman way of life spread to the local tribes.

Before Rome arrived, the Carthaginians were very strong there. A leader named Hamilcar Barca conquered much of the south. His son, Hannibal, later took over. Hannibal attacked a city called Saguntum. This attack started the Second Punic War. This war was a huge fight between Rome and Carthage. It lasted from 218 BC to 201 BC.

Rome began to win land in 206 BC. They took the parts of the peninsula held by Carthage. In 197 BC, they made two official areas called provinces. One was called Hispania Citerior, or Nearer Spain. It was along the east coast.

The other was Hispania Ulterior, or Further Spain. This was in the south. These areas helped Rome manage the land more easily.

Everything changed when Rome moved from a Republic to an Empire. Augustus became the first Roman emperor. He finished the conquest of the north. He did this after the Cantabrian Wars ended.

In 19 BC, Augustus took control of the whole peninsula. He reorganized the land into new provinces. One new area was called Hispania Tarraconensis. This made the whole peninsula a part of the Roman Empire.

The Roman conquest of the Iberian Peninsula was a long and complex process. It changed the land from a region of many tribes into a central part of the Roman Empire. Before Rome arrived, the peninsula was home to many groups. These included the Celtic, Iberian, Celtiberian, and Aquitanian tribes. Other powers also held territory there. For example, the Carthaginians controlled much of the south and east.

Before the Romans took control, trade shaped the coast. During the 8th and 7th centuries BC, Phoenician traders established contact in the south. They exported local minerals and imported goods from the Eastern Mediterranean. Later, Greek traders from Massalia also traded along the coast. They founded cities like Emporion and Rhode. These contacts caused some native people to adopt parts of Mediterranean culture.

Control of the peninsula eventually shifted to the Carthaginian Empire. After the First Punic War, Hamilcar Barca conquered much of southern Hispania. His family established strong dominions there. They used force, alliances, and marriages with local chiefs to gain power. The region provided Carthage with many soldiers. These included mercenaries like the Balearic slingers and the Celtiberians.

Conflict between Rome and Carthage grew because of a treaty. In 226 BC, Hasdrubal the Fair took over from Hamilcar. He made a treaty with Rome using the River Ebro as a boundary. This meant neither side would expand past that river. However, the city of Saguntum was located between the two empires. Saguntum made an alliance with Rome, but it was surrounded by Carthaginian territory. This tension led to the Second Punic War.

The war began when Hannibal attacked Saguntum. The siege lasted for eight months. Hannibal demanded that the city give up its gold and silver. The citizens threw their wealth into a fire instead. When Hannibal finally seized the city, there was a great slaughter. This event caused Rome to prepare for a massive military response. Rome raised 24,000 infantry and 1,800 cavalry for an expedition to Africa. They also prepared a fleet of 220 warships for the conflict.

Rome began winning territory in the peninsula during the Second Punic War. In 206 BC, they defeated the Carthaginian forces. This left a Roman presence in the south and east. By 197 BC, the Romans established two provinces. The first was Hispania Citerior, or Nearer Spain, along the east coast. The second was Hispania Ulterior, or Further Spain, in the south.

Over the next 170 years, Rome expanded its influence through many different methods.

Roman control was not just about military battles. It was a gradual process of assimilation. Rome used economic, diplomatic, and cultural infiltration to change the region. They established outposts and Roman colonies to expand their reach. Some native cities became tributary cities, meaning they paid taxes to Rome. This allowed Roman laws and economic systems to spread among the local tribes. However, Rome also used military suppression when native tribes resisted.

The final stage of conquest happened under the Roman Empire. After the Republic ended, Augustus became the first emperor. He completed the conquest after the Cantabrian Wars in the north. In 19 BC, Augustus annexed the entire peninsula. He reorganized the administration into new provinces. Hispania Citerior was expanded and renamed Hispania Tarraconensis. Hispania Ulterior was divided into two parts: Baetica and Lusitania. This reorganization officially made the whole peninsula part of the Roman Empire.