Phases of the Roman conquest

This map represents the Roman conquest of the Peninsula between the years 197 BC and 29-19 BC. The key map show us the first Scipios’ advance, ScipioAemilianus’ campaigns, Viriatus campaigns, the Lusitanians’ campaigns and the main Romans campaigns.

Classification

Phases of the Roman Empire is an evolution map, reflects the different stages of the Roman conquest in the peninsula between the years 197 BC and 29-19 BC. And is also a political map because shows the expansion of the Roman Empire in the peninsula.

Description and analysis

On the map we can observe how the Romans conquered more territories with each campaign and the different colours show the territories conquered until a specific year.

The first conquests until year 197 BC in green extended to the Mediterranean costs until the Gulf of Cadiz; these territories were occupied after the Scipions advance.

Then we have the conquest until year 154 BC in yellow where the borders expand West, after Viriatus’ resistance and Scipio campaigns the conquest of the Roman Empire until year 29 BC in pink expanded to almost all the peninsula with the exception of the North of the peninsula, where the territories of the Astures and the Cantabri were still untouched. By 19 BC in red, after some Roman campaigns ran by Augustus what was left of the peninsula was conquered.

The map refers to the conquest of the Iberian Peninsula; we can find reflected here all the stages of the roman conquest.

1st stage (218-187 BC), when two armies disembarked in Emporion because they were asked for help, started fighting against the Carthaginians. As the commanders in charge died at war fighting against Hasdrubal Barca in 210 BC, the Roman Senate sent P.Cornelius Scipio Africanus, whose actions were decisive for the Carthaginian defeat: the Romans took Cartago Nova in 209 BC; their troops defeated the Carthaginians at the battles of Baecula in 208 BC and Ilipa in 206 BC. In year 197 BC the Romans divided the Peninsula into two provinces.

2nd stage (154-133 BC), the Romans fought against the Celtiberians and the Lusitanians. The Lusitanians revolted against the high taxes imposed by the Romans and found a leader, Viriatus, who obtained some victories over the Romans between 147 And 139 BC. Finally, peace was signed, but the Romans bribed three Lusitanian warriors, who killed Viriatus in139 BC. The war against the Lusitanians extended for almost 20 years. Numantia became the main center of the resistance. The arrival of general P. Cornelius Scipio Aemilianus, who had destroyed Carthage, in 134 BC changed the situation. He sieged Numantia, building a nine kilometer fence around the city and cutting all its supplies. After 13 months the Numantians had no other choice than surrender. The few survivors were made prisoners and sold as slaves. The legend says that the Numantians burnt the city because they preferred to die free rather than live and be slaves, but this is not true. Roman historians used Numantian resistance to glorify Scipio Aemilianus triumph and the legend spread and was also used in other stages in the history of Spain to extol the sacrifice of the life of individuals in defense of the homeland. At the end of the Celtiberian and Lusitanian wars the Romans controlled the centre and West of the Iberian Peninsula.

3rd stage (29-19 BC), wars against the Astures, Cantabri and Gallaeci. Emperor Octavian Augustus arrived in the Peninsula to complete the conquest of Hispania and take the control of its rich mineral resources. He deployed 8 legions and several auxiliary troops (50,000 soldiers), opened a 400 km front, from the Pyrenees to Portugal and defeated the Cantabri, the Astures and the Gallaeci.

After Augustus campaign, Hispania became another part of the Roman Empire and its integration is shown in the demilitarization and reduction of troops on the ground and the little information provided by Roman sources about Hispania.

Conclusion

In this case the map reflects the phases of the Roman conquest on the Iberian Peninsula. The map is important to understand how the Romans conquered the peninsula, the time it took them and the campaigns they had to organize the whole conquest of the Peninsula, it also reflects how the northern populations were more resistant to the Roman invasion, helped by the geographical environment, protected by the mountain ranges, and how this repeats throughout history with all the invasions the peninsula has suffered, always the northern towns were the last to be conquered or not. This meant the total incorporation of the Peninsula to the Roman Empire and it became a province of Rome, called Hispania.