Browsing by Subject "Spain -- History -- Roman period, 218 B.C.-414 A.D"
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Item Roman conquest of Spain: the economic motive(Texas Tech University, 1998-05) Houck, Michael Lynn; Economics -- Spain -- HistoryThe evidence for economic activity in the Iberian peninsula before and during the Roman conquest, from 2'.8 - 206 B.C., was considered inadequate by ancient historians such as T. Frank and M.I. Finley. The fragmentary sources led them and other scholars to discount economic motives as a reason for Roman involvement in the Iberian peninsula.1 Conversely, the evidence for the late Republic and the early empire is much more abundant and reveals thriving economic activity. There is evidence from the first century B.C. for trade in such diverse commodities as grain, wine, olive oil, timber, cattle, esparto grass, fish sauce, and precious metals.2 Exploitation of Spanish mining resources reached peak production levels by the reign of Augustus, and gradually tapered off from the end of the first century A.D. to the late second century.3 The Spanish provinces were, arguably, the most romanized regions of the Roman empire. During the early empire the Hispaniae were valued possessions of the emperors, nearly all of whom were either directly or indirectly in contact with their peninsular holdings. Some emperors had personal connections to the Spanish provinces, for example, the families of Trajan and Hadrian were both from Italica and Marcus Aurelius' family was from Ucubi in the province of Saetica. Access to the Atlantic could be controlled from the southern peninsula, thus giving Rome dominion over trade routes to Britain, western Gaul, and the Rhine.4 There is little doubt that the Romans benefited from their efforts in Spain, especially in their systematic exploitation of its natural resources. Were the economic advantages of Spain only apparent after the first half century of Roman occupation? The evidence regarding the earliest date of Roman economic interest in and exploitation of the Iberian peninsula ought to be reassessed.