6/18/07 Barcelona

The Story of Spain Introduction Chapters 1&2

The story of Spain includes many invaders who entered the country on a chance to gain control and seek power. The Iberians are among the first to come. Iberians had dark skin and had really long skulls. Also they lived in hilltop settlements. Their character was said to be stoical and devoted to bulls and horses. Iberians had a superstitious religion and were very respectful of others. Among the Iberians there were also many other groups that influenced the peninsula, such as the Basque people who speak a language that has no direct correlation to any other language.

Later the Celtics came and were apart of the Iberian Peninsula migration. The Celtics had fair skin and round faces and entered the peninsula around 900 BC. The Celts brought iron metallurgy and the short broad sword. Celtics drank fermented beer and the word cerveza actually comes from the Celtics.

As the Celtics settled on the peninsula a group known as the Phoenicians entered through the south. The Phoenicians had dark skin and wide foreheads, with hooked noses. The most important thing that the Phoenicians brought was the alphabet which is still used today but is modified. To the Phoenicians mining and fishing were of economic importance. Even the Phoenician coins had a tuna fish on it. When Phoenicia was defeated by Assyria and Babylonia Carthage came into place. The Greeks quickly made trading posts in Spain. Even though the Carthaginians ruled the Mediterranean coast for two centuries, historians still know very little about them.

The Roman Conquest

The Romans ruled the Iberian Peninsula for six centuries. They brought so many things with them and were the most important invaders in Spain history. Romans built roads, bridges and aqueducts which can be seen still today. I have personally had a chance to see them and form a far they look extraordinary. Romans had an advanced legal system and a new religion called Christianity. As I refer to the text it’s said that Christianity ¨served to unite disparate ethnic and linguistic groups¨ (pg. 33). It was very hard for the Romans to come to the peninsula and quickly gain control. In fact it took over two centuries and more thatn one-hundred and fifty thousand lives to actually take over the peninsula. Romanization started around 200 BC and was complete in areas around the coast and river valleys. The legacy the Romans left are the laws and language.