The provincisation of Iberia in the Roman period: Provinciae Hispaniae

This study presents a narrative centered on the Iberian peninsula, covering the entire territory of modern Spain and Portugal, partly southern France, from the mid-2nd century BC to mid-1st century AD. With the shift from the Carthage-Roman wars (264-146 BC) to the Iberian peninsula of the Second Punic War (218-201 BC), as it is known in the literature, the chain of events affecting this region began. Carthage, which Rome defeated due to the First Punic War (264-241 BC), seized and started exploiting the mineral deposits in the region to get rid of the economic and financial burden brought by the war. The Roman Republic (Res Publica), which was based on a war economy in ancient times, set foot on the peninsula, citing the capture of the city of Saguntum, which was in alliance with it in the region, by the Carthaginians. The long wars of Rome with Carthage in the region have been tried to be handled centered on the Iberian peninsula without touching other geographical areas. With the withdrawal of Carthage from the region, Rome's struggle with the local tribes began. In the region, which was transformed into Provincia Hispania Ulterior (Far Hispania) and Provincia Hispania Citerior (Near Hispania) by Rome, the resistance of the pro-Carthaginian local tribes against Rome, Rome's political activities in the region and the relations of these tribes with Rome for about two centuries have been analyzed primarily. However, not all tribes in the peninsula were anti-Roman. As in the Saguntum example, some tribes established a friendly relationship with Rome. With this friendly relationship, the tribes started Romanisation. Some revolts against Romanisation took place in the regions under Roman rule and prolonged the process of Rome's complete control of the Iberian peninsula. The region, which was pacified politically by the activities of the Scipio brothers, was trying to develop economically and financially with the reforms of Graccus. However, it is noteworthy that Rome used the region as an area of exploitation long after taking over it. The aforementioned events are discussed within the framework of ancient sources that provide information about the period. Towards the end of the Republican period in Rome, the peninsula entered a process of transformation that can be characterized as a province from the scope of duty authority. The provinces of Ulterior and Citerior, which were first placed under the senate's authority, tried to remain relatively neutral in the Pompeius and Caesar-centred conflict. With the beginning of the Imperial (Principatus) period of Augustus (27 BC- 284 AD), they were included in the scope of reconstruction activities. Augustus divided Hispania Ulterior into two new provinces, Hispania Lusitania and Hispania Baetica. The reconstruction activities continued by his predecessors led to the region's development and the acceleration of Romanisation. Urbanization in the region peaked with the granting of municipal (municipium) permission by Emperor Vespasianus (69-79 AD). The Romanised local population gave birth to its aristocratic class, gained economic and commercial power, and consolidated its political power through intermarriage with aristocratic families from other provinces close to the region. They had a direct impact on Roman political life after 79 AD. The succession of emperors of Hispania origin (Nerva, Traianus, Hadrianus and Marcus Aurelius [96-180 AD]) to the Roman throne confirms this. With the entry of the Romans into the region in the second century BC, the influence of the provinces of Hispania began to be felt in Roman economic and political life. It continued for about a century with the rise of the early Principatus. The provinces lost their political and economic influence with the accession of eastern emperors to the throne in the III century AD. They lost their importance with the Visigothic plundering in the IV century AD.