Roman Spain (Routledge Revivals)

Book excerpt: The rugged, parched landscape and fierce inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula resisted Rome’s best generals for two centuries. Roman Spain tells the story of this conquest, making use of the latest archaeological evidence to explore the social, religious, political and economic implications of the transition from a tribal community accustomed to grisly human sacrifices to a civilised, Latin-speaking provincial society. From the fabled kingdom of Tartesos to the triumph of Christianity, Professor Curchin traces the evolution of Hispano-Roman cults, the integration of Spain into the Roman economy, cultural ‘resistance’ to Romanisation, and surveys the chief cities of the Roman administration as well as conditions in the countryside. Special emphasis is placed on social relationships: soldier and civilian, the emperor and the provincials, patrons and clients, the upper and lower classes, women and the family.