Tarraco: Difference between revisions
No edit summary |
|||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
[[File:Tarraco Lageplan.png|thumb|240px|Plan of Tarraco in imperial times, with the main buildings]] |
|||
| ⚫ | '''Tarraco''' is the ancient name of the |
||
[[File:TarracoImperial-9090.jpg|thumb|240px|Model of Tarraco in imperial times, situated in the remains of the provincial forum]] |
|||
[[File:Tarragona.Museo.Arqueologico.jpg|thumb|240px|The principal remains of the Roman city preserved in the ''[[Museu Nacional Arquelògic de Tarragona]]'' (MNAT).]] |
|||
| ⚫ | '''Tarraco''' is the ancient name of the current city of [[Tarragona]] ([[Catalonia]], [[Spain]]). During the [[Roman Empire]] was one of the major cities of the [[Iberian Peninsula]] and capital of the Roman province called [[Hispania Citerior]] or [[Hispania Tarraconensis]]. The full name of the city at the time of the [[Roman Republic]] was '''''Colonia Iulia Urbs Triumphalis Tarraco'''''.<ref>[[Claudius Ptolemy]], ii. 6. § 17</ref> In 2000, the archaeological ensemble of Tarraco was declared a [[World heritage site]] by [[UNESCO]]. |
||
==Prehistory and Second Punic Wars== |
==Prehistory and Second Punic Wars== |
||
| Line 10: | Line 13: | ||
The earliest Roman history of Tarragona linked to the [[Scipio (cognomen)|Scipios]], as [[Pliny]] said: ''Tarraco Scipionum opus'', Tarraco was work by the Scipios as [[Carthage]] was by the [[Punics]].<ref name="Plinius" /> |
The earliest Roman history of Tarragona linked to the [[Scipio (cognomen)|Scipios]], as [[Pliny]] said: ''Tarraco Scipionum opus'', Tarraco was work by the Scipios as [[Carthage]] was by the [[Punics]].<ref name="Plinius" /> |
||
The conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans took over 200 years. |
The conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans took over 200 years. |
||
==Tarraco during the Roman Republic== |
|||
During the following centuries Tarraco constitutes a supply and camp base of winter during the wars against the Celtiberians, as occurred during the Second Punic War. So it is a military presence in this period, possibly in the highest area of the current Old Town. In 197 B.C., the conquered areas, even narrow strips along the coast of Spain were divided between the new provinces of [[Hispania Ulterior]] and [[Hispania Citerior]]. The capital of Hispania Citerior was mainly Carthago Nova. But [[Strabo]] says that the governors not only resided in [[Carthago Nova]] but also in [[Tarraco]].<ref>Strabon 3, 4, 7.</ref> |
|||
It is not entirely clear about the legal status of Tarraco. It was probably organized as ''conventus civium Romanorum'' (convent = meeting of Roman citizens of the province) during the republic, with two ''magistri'' (civilian directors) in head. Gaius Porciu Cato, consul of the year 114 B.C., chose Tarraco as place of his exile in the year 108. indicating that Tarraco was a free city or perhaps ally at that time. |
|||
According to Strabo one of the most recent fighting took place not far from Tarraco.<ref>Strabon 3, 4, 9 (160).</ref> When Caesar beat supporters of [[Pompey]] in 49 a. C. in ''Ilerda'' (Lleida), Tarraco supported his army with foods.<ref>Caesar, ''De Bello Civili'' 1, 60.</ref> Is not entirely clear whether Tarraco received status of colony by Caesar or Augustus, but current research tends to assume that was the first who gave that status after his victory in Munda.<ref>AE 1957, 309, AE 1957, 310 = RIT (G. Alföldy: ''Die Römischen Inschriften von Tarraco.'' Madrider Forschungen 10, Berlin 1975) 1 y 2.</ref> |
|||
== References == |
== References == |
||
Revision as of 01:53, 24 April 2011
Tarraco is the ancient name of the current city of Tarragona (Catalonia, Spain). During the Roman Empire was one of the major cities of the Iberian Peninsula and capital of the Roman province called Hispania Citerior or Hispania Tarraconensis. The full name of the city at the time of the Roman Republic was Colonia Iulia Urbs Triumphalis Tarraco.[1] In 2000, the archaeological ensemble of Tarraco was declared a World heritage site by UNESCO.
Prehistory and Second Punic Wars
The municipality was inhabited in pre-Roman times by Iberians who had commercial contacts with the Greeks and Phoenicians who settled on the coast. The Iberian colonies were present particularly in the valley of Ebro. In the municipality of Tarragona, there are findings of colony since the 5th century B.C.
The sources referred to the presence of Iberians in Tarraco are ambiguous. Livy mentions a oppidum parvum (small colony) called Cissis, Polybius names a polis as Kissa (Κίσσα).(Κίσσα).[2] Shortly after the arrival of Gnaeus Cornelius Scipio Calvus to Empúries (Emporion) in 218 B.C. in the Second Punic Wars, Tarraco is mentioned for first time. Livy writes that the Romans conquered a field of Punic supplies for the troops of Hannibal near Cissis and took the city. A short time later, the Romans were attacked "not far from Tarraco" (haud procul Tarracone).[3]) But it remains unclear whether Cissis and Tarraco was the same city. A coin found in Empúries has the Iberian bears the inscription Tarakon-salir (salir probably means silver). The coin, engraved following models of Empúries at an undisclosed location, is generally dated to 250 BC, for sure before the arrival of the Romans. The name Kesse appears on coins of Iberian origin of 1st and 2nd century BC. Were marked according to Roman weight standards. Kesse should be equated with Cissis, the place of origin of the Cissisians mentioned by Plinio.[4]
In the year 217 B.C. Roman forces arrived by Scipio Africanus at Tarraco. Tarraco was the winter holiday between 211 and 210, and there Publius Cornelius met the tribes of Hispania in conventus.[5] The population was largely loyal to the Romans during the war. Livy called them allies and friends of the Roman people (socii et amici populi Romani) and the fishermens of Tarraco (piscatores Tarraconenses) served with their boats during the siege of Carthago Nova.[6]
The earliest Roman history of Tarragona linked to the Scipios, as Pliny said: Tarraco Scipionum opus, Tarraco was work by the Scipios as Carthage was by the Punics.[4] The conquest of the Iberian Peninsula by the Romans took over 200 years.
Tarraco during the Roman Republic
During the following centuries Tarraco constitutes a supply and camp base of winter during the wars against the Celtiberians, as occurred during the Second Punic War. So it is a military presence in this period, possibly in the highest area of the current Old Town. In 197 B.C., the conquered areas, even narrow strips along the coast of Spain were divided between the new provinces of Hispania Ulterior and Hispania Citerior. The capital of Hispania Citerior was mainly Carthago Nova. But Strabo says that the governors not only resided in Carthago Nova but also in Tarraco.[7]
It is not entirely clear about the legal status of Tarraco. It was probably organized as conventus civium Romanorum (convent = meeting of Roman citizens of the province) during the republic, with two magistri (civilian directors) in head. Gaius Porciu Cato, consul of the year 114 B.C., chose Tarraco as place of his exile in the year 108. indicating that Tarraco was a free city or perhaps ally at that time.
According to Strabo one of the most recent fighting took place not far from Tarraco.[8] When Caesar beat supporters of Pompey in 49 a. C. in Ilerda (Lleida), Tarraco supported his army with foods.[9] Is not entirely clear whether Tarraco received status of colony by Caesar or Augustus, but current research tends to assume that was the first who gave that status after his victory in Munda.[10]
References
- ^ Claudius Ptolemy, ii. 6. § 17
- ^ Livy 21, 60; Polybius 3, 76, 5.
- ^ Livy 21, 60, 1ff.
- ^ a b Plinius: Naturalis historia 3, 21.
- ^ Livy 26, 19 u. 51.
- ^ Livy 27, 42; Livy 26, 45.
- ^ Strabon 3, 4, 7.
- ^ Strabon 3, 4, 9 (160).
- ^ Caesar, De Bello Civili 1, 60.
- ^ AE 1957, 309, AE 1957, 310 = RIT (G. Alföldy: Die Römischen Inschriften von Tarraco. Madrider Forschungen 10, Berlin 1975) 1 y 2.
External links
