The Roman Empire is a clear reference in universal history, being the city Roman of Tarraco an important point to discuss. It represents the most important city within Hispania Citerior or Tarraconensis. Discover all his background with the help of this post.
Roman of Tarraco, prehistory and Second Punic War
The Roman city of Tarraco was inhabited by the pre-Roman community of the Iberians, a group that maintained good commercial relations with the Greek community. Later, the Phoenicians themselves settled in the place to bring good treatment that would benefit everyone. Subsequently, Iberian citizenship was established in the Ebro Valley.
In the municipality of Tarragona there are testimonies of inhabitants found from the XNUMXth century BC As you might imagine, the research to determine the origin of its first settlers is somewhat complex. Tito Livio mentions the existence of the Cissis, a group or small fortress that served for the meetings of the population. It is a kind of place where each of them felt safe from attacks by neighboring residents. Polibio joins this idea, but with the name of Kissa.
The Second Punic War began with the arrival of the great politician Gnaeus Cornelio Escipión Calvo in Emporiae in 218 BC It is from this historical episode that the Romana de Tarraco appears for the first time throughout all the books that explain the history Roman. For its part, the egyptian architecture it is just as transcendental for your study. Are you excited to meet her?
Tito Livio continues his story by stating that the Roman army had conquered all the Punic supplies commanded by Hannibal, to the point of reaching the Cissis. However, this yoke did not last long, because the Romans were attacked in nearby communities in Romana de Tarraco. Now, one unknown that has not been scrutinized is whether Cissis and Tarraco are the same city or belong to different geographies.
Later, a coin was found in Ampurias with the inscription that dates the Iberian presence as part of the economy in Roman Tarraco. The meeting place so far is absolutely unknown, but the raw material is undoubtedly silver. The coin is dated to 250 BC or slightly earlier. Undoubtedly, the currency is an unprecedented fact that the Romans had not yet conquered these territories.
In the year 217 BC, the great Publius Cornelius Scipio Africanus arrived in Tarraco for the first time. La Romana de Tarraco is a good place to take shelter from the inclemencies of winter. El Africano did the same thing with the main tribes of Hispania. Tito Livio describes that these tribes were the best allies of the politician as well as the Romans or fishermen of Tarraco. He can also know the most important aspects of the Roman architecture to learn much more.
The history of Tarragona is always linked to the political power exercised by the Scipios, from the first to the last. Pliny the Elder explains that the raison d'être for Tarragona and Cártago is precisely all the actions of these great political figures for each community.
During the Roman Republic
Just as one of the previous paragraphs explains, Romana de Tarraco served as a place of supply to protect the inhabitants from winter. The war with the Celtiberians represented another of the important reasons for turning Tarraco into a protective fortress. Thanks to this episode, the story explains a military fact for the region.
In the year 197 BC, following the Roman conquest, there were two regions made up of these explored territories: Hispania Citerior and Ulterior. Each of them bordered the coasts of Spain. The capital of the first city is Cartago de Nova. Strabo did not think the same way, saying that Tarraco is also an important city in Hispania Citerior.
To talk about legislation or legal issues of the Romana de Tarraco is very difficult, because there is no specific evidence of how Cissis and Tarraco have acted as a single entity. Something very real that has been verified by historians is the function of a convent (or meeting of Roman citizens). In the Latin language it is considered conventus civium Romanorum.
Meanwhile, the highest authorities of these territories consider themselves "magistri" as in the case of the great Cayo Porcio Catón, one of the most renowned consuls who held office in 114 BC He was previously exiled, choosing the Romana de Tarraco as a space to survive . This makes it clear that the territory was free.
The wars did not stop in the vicinity of Tarraco, when Julius Caesar ordered a strong attack against all the supporters of Gnaeus Pompey the Great. The community supported the brave with food or sustenance while the combat air remained. With these events, Tarraco received the name of colony, perceiving a great dilemma when coining this term, without knowing if Caesar did it at the time or Augustus.
The period of Caesar Augustus
The Roman emperor Augustus had great participation in the campaigns of Cantabria to observe the enemy movement from Hispania. However, as his health worsened, he preferred to remain in Tarraco until he fully recovered.
Among the most striking aspects of the Roman history of Tarraco is the construction of an altar in the middle of the city. As Augustus remained in poor health for a long time, a plant (similar to a palm) grew in the middle of the infrastructure, making it clear that this altar was not used rigorously by the population.
Another important event during the administration of Augustus is the organization of the Spanish provinces. An example of them is the distribution of the lands in Hispania Ulterior to the communities of Bética and Lusitania. From this instance is when Tarraco becomes part of the capital in Hispania Citerior.
Pomponio Mela describes Tarraco as one of the cities with the greatest future in all of Hispania, with unimaginable riches. Augustus and Tiberius established their own monetary system, with the appearance of various cult ceremonies as part of the inheritance acquired in the territory.
After battling for many years with his illness, Augustus dies in the 14th century AD, whose subjects deferred his image. By virtue of everything achieved in the period of his mandate, they ordered the construction of a temple for his worship.
The city during the High Empire
New emperors have taken charge of taking over the shops in Romana de Tarraco, as in the case of Gaiba. With a total of 8 years of management, he managed to recover an important gap that the territory's economy had become.
With the help of Vespasiano, this recovery was carried out in an extremely short period of time, to the point of granting the citizenship of Hispania to all Latin visitors who wanted to reside in that commune. The nearby cities that converge with Spain received that urban influence of large centers for the shelter of many people. Later these portions of land followed suit to sub-divide into larger urban localities.
As urban places operate continuously, the collections to recover the economy of Tarraco arrived in the least expected time. This event gives reason to the words of Pomponius Mela by ensuring that this Roman city was the richest in this government period between Gaiba and Vespasian. With a prosperous economy they managed to complete the architectural work of the amphitheater and the provincial forum.
Trajan assumed the role of successor emperor in the mandate of Tarraco. The first ordinance consisted of designating Lucio Licinio Sura as the new patron of the community. Coming from Tarraconensis, he managed to exalt a good position in his State with good deeds for all the inhabitants. When Hadrian visits this land in winter, he holds a convent to rebuild the temple in honor of Augustus.
In the XNUMXnd century those financial ghosts that Tarraco thought he had overcome returned. Indeed, the money was diluted with poor management, even the fact of building few statues for ornamental purposes in the city. Clodio Albino wanted to fight against the government of that period, defeating it easily, as he did not have the necessary wealth to prevail against this fighter.
All inscriptions related to the Providential Council begin to disappear to make room for a strictly military region. The independent commercials disappeared from Tarraco, leaving the region's economy further adrift, however, the landowners took control of the money, as did the high officials of the region.
The persecution of Christians did not wait long either. Bishop Fructuoso together with his allies Augurio and Elogio were executed in the amphitheater of Tarraco, as a sign of the great power exercised by the Roman Empire. Speaking of this topic, there are roman myths very interesting to discover. Do you know what its main creatures are?
under empire
Many episodes occurred after the executions established in the Roman church of Tarraco, especially in its amphitheater. In the period of government exercised by Diocletian, he further segmented the capital into six dioceses, with smaller land than usual. All the buildings that the Franks demolished turned out to be rebuilt in the management of him.
In the year 476, the Roman Empire had a catastrophic fall from which they never recovered, allowing the Visigoths to spend the night in Tarraco together with King Euric. In this time period, there is no concrete evidence about another possible destruction of the capital, making it clear that this king looked quite calm during his stay in Hispania.
An important fact is the root of several Visigothic inhabitants belonging to the upper class. By finding some Christian graves, it shows history that they are on the right track to indicate an elite society at this time. However, the economic decline continued to such an extent that many settlers were forced to leave for other cities.
Between the years 713 and 714, the Muslim invasion of the Iberian Peninsula took place, allowing the access of the Arab-Muslim community in Tarraco, to appropriate their lands. There is no concrete indication of how they got there, nor the intentions they had. The facts speak for themselves, leaving Tarraco practically in ruins.
Bishop Prospero, in charge of religious affairs in Tarraco, forced his flight to Italy before being a mortal victim of these conquering groups. With this escape, there is no chance of a defending leader for the interests of Romana de Tarraco.
Archaeological set
It is one of the great archaeological manifestations that are part of Roman Hispania, or failing that, of the enclosures that Spain preserves within antiquity. In 2000 it was considered a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. Until now, the Roman city of Tarraco is a fabulous settlement located in the Iberian Peninsula, in which they built a number of convents to protect themselves from winter and safeguard their interests.
On the date it is possible to distinguish a series of Roman ruins in Tarragona as a fundamental fact of its history. For example, some walls still stand very close to where Pilate resided in his great temple. Similarly, a prison that has been lying since the XNUMXth century was possibly the ancient temple in honor of Augustus.
Although Tarraco suffered many destructions in each era, it is currently inhabited by several families. Thanks to the demolished temples, together with the ancient fortresses, they gave the contribution as raw material to build their homes. For its part, the amphitheater now serves as a quarry, with the purpose of extracting industrial rocks or favoring mining activities.
Another attraction lies in the stones that are scattered throughout Tarraco, as certain inscriptions written in Latin or Phoenician appear. The rescued vestiges have served to clarify many doubts about the history of this capital in Hispania Citerior.
To talk about other infrastructures that have remained standing, it is time to mention the Tarraco aqueduct, which is 217 meters long, in addition to the Torre de los Escipiones. It is noteworthy that many rulers who lived in the early years in the Roman city are buried there.
Criteria
UNESCO did not order to include the Roman city of Tarraco in its list as a World Heritage Site by chance, because in doing so, they were guided by a couple of important approaches to mention:
- The Roman remains of Tarraco are a point of reference for proposing the first urban ideals of Spain. In the end, it served as a model to raise other provinces throughout the world.
- Tarraco is a reference point to explain in detail how history unfolded in all the territories adjacent to the Mediterranean.
protected places
Below is a brief overview of some spaces that are protected by the State, once being a key point to understand the importance of the Roman city of Tarraco.
Walls of Tarragona
It is an important fence that surrounds the entire central town of Tarragona, which at the same time belongs to Catalonia, Spain. Considered one of the most important constructions in Tarraco, since it started with just a wooden palisade until it became a great wall.
Researchers have not reached an agreement if the Second Punic War is the ideal context to frame the birth of this wall. What there is no doubt about is its century (III BC) when its construction began.
When the Islamic invasion was present, Tarraco began to lose inhabitants immediately, so as not to suffer the consequences of a new conquest. The destruction was imminent, remaining so until the mandate of Ramón Berenguer IV, who ordered the reconstruction in the twelfth century. Time later came the modifications in the Napoleonic stage.
imperial cult enclosure
Considered as the Provincial Forum of Tarraco, it is an immense infrastructure developed for various purposes: administrative, cultural and religious. Without a doubt, one of the most important buildings in Hispania Citerior. Vespasian carved the first stone with his Roman subjects in 73 BC to create a settlement versatile enough to occupy several areas in the Roman city.
The Roman circus of Tarraco
It is another fundamental place in the history of this city, currently it belongs to the province of Tarragona in Spain. Its first purpose was the realization of several convents of annual time to talk about details that concern the Hispania Citerior.
In the first century, its construction was completed, to raise the option of organizing horse races and other entertainment events for the community. The circus worked in this way until the XNUMXth century, when the need arose to expand its vaults to form a new residential complex, thanks to the segmented territories in Hispania (which considerably reduced its geography). In short, the hesitations of the Roman Empire transformed the use of this space.
Something very outstanding about this Roman circus is its architectural grandeur. For this reason, the government took advantage of extending these facilities to the capital of Tarragona. Its uses have varied, with the aim of recovering its main essence through chariot races (a rider pulling a cart with four horses), theatrical scenes and maneuvers related to a conventional circus. There is no doubt that it recreates a fabulous space that calls for recreation, relaxation and escape from the comfort zone.
Roman theater or colonial forum
If a tourist comes to ask about a designation, it is important to clarify that it is the same space. Considered by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site. The theater was built in the time of Augustus in the XNUMXst century BC in order to exalt several monuments in Tarraco to draw the attention of the neighboring towns.
Until the following century it was used as a theater, because the building was destined for other occupations according to the interests of the government. A fire that occurred in the third century was the breaking point for this theater, serving as support material for the inhabitants who lost everything to rebuild their houses with the help of the destruction.
Curiously, being framed as a World Heritage Site, the state of abandonment in which the theater is found is a reality. However, the setting of a viewpoint contributed to observe the place from a certain distance as a new attraction, while they work on its rehabilitation.
The new architecture of this theater consisted of taking advantage of a slope of the old amphitheater to recover the stands.
If tourists visit this ancient Roman theater, they will notice the presence in only 5 stands. Unfortunately the rest of them are in a state of progressive deterioration. A positive point is the discovery of ancient architectural influences in capitals, columns and friezes.
Amphitheater
If it is about other protected spaces, the amphitheater is one of the most remembered in Hispania Citerior. Built near the sea, this monument consisted of celebrating funerary rites or carrying out the burials of outstanding people during the history of Tarraco.
January of the year 259 was tragic enough for Christian citizenship, being involved in different persecutions that ended their lives. In the amphitheater Bishop Fructuoso was executed along with his assistants, as another sign of misfortune for the Christian defenders.
In the XNUMXth century, little remained of the primary functions with which this space was built, just as it happened with the Roman theater explained above.
With the triumph of Christianity after a tireless struggle, with a lot of blood spilled, an important Christian basilica was born from that amphitheater to extol the dogmas learned since the arrival of Jesus Christ.
There the martyrdom of the three most outstanding characters of Tarraco took place, as well as the victory of the Holy Church over its predators.
The Islamic invasion meant a delay in all the land gained by the basilica, because faced with a new threat of conquest, they abandoned this space until the XNUMXth century.
It has a function similar to the Roman circus, with the dispute between gladiators, gladiators vs. wild animals, hunting exhibitions or sporting events similar to the Olympics.
The strategy of building an amphitheater by the sea means the landing of tourists willing to enjoy great religious ceremonies or entertainment.
The rock on the slope allowed the amphitheater stage to be divided to produce two ceremonies simultaneously. Undoubtedly, an excellent protected place in the Romana de Tarraco.