Hispania is the Latin root for the modern name Spain, and the words Spanish for Hispanicus or Hispanic, or Spain for Hispania, can be interchangeable, depending on context.
Hispania, in Roman times, region comprising the Iberian Peninsula, now occupied by Portugal and Spain. The origins of the name are disputed.
In this article, we will delve into the most important moments of Roman Hispania, answering key questions about the period, such as its duration, the meaning of the term Hispania in Roman times, the emperors involved in the conquest, and how this territory evolved into what it is today.
After the war, Rome divided Spain into two provinces, known as Hispania Citerior (Near) and Hispania Ulterior (Far). Both of these provinces were rich in silver and other precious metals, and their governors did not hesitate to extort extra wealth from the local inhabitants.
By the reign of Augustus (27 BCE–14 CE), the peninsula was reorganized into formal provinces, with Hispania Tarraconensis, Baetica, and Lusitania forming the core. These regions supplied the empire with silver, gold, olive oil, and grain, while also serving as a recruiting ground for Roman armies.
Hispania ca. 196 BC. The Creation of Roman Spain (Hispania). As early as 197 BC, Rome signalled its intentions, dividing its conquered possessions into two provinces, Hispania Citerior (running down the east coast and inland) and Hispania Ulterior (roughly modern Andalusia).
Under the Roman Republic, Hispania was divided into two provinces: Hispania Citerior and Hispania Ulterior. During the Principate, Hispania Ulterior was divided into two new provinces, Baetica and Lusitania, while Hispania Citerior was renamed Hispania Tarraconensis.