Roman Spain: Conquest and assimilation

by Leonard A. Curchin

Spain in Roman times bristled with danger. The parched landscape of the Spanish interior was often as deadly as the Celts and the Iberians, people famed for their ferocity and accustomed to grisly human sacrifice. Little wonder that it took Roman armies more than two centuries to subdue the Iberian peninsula. In "Roman Spain" , Leonard Curchin traces the history of the Iberian peninsula from the fabled kingdom of Tartesos to the triumph of Christianity. As well as the arduous period of conquest, he chronicles Spain's slow assimilation into the Roman Empire, showing how its recalcitrant indigenous peoples and cultures were gradually transformed into a Latin-speaking provincial society. He examines the evolution of Hispano-Roman cults, the integration of Spain into the Roman economy, and cultural "resistance" to romanization, and marshals recent archaeological evidence to survey the chief cities of the Roman administration as well as conditions in the countryside. Special emphasis is placed on social soldier and civilian, the emperor and the provincials, patrons and clients, the upper and lower classes, women and the family. This book should be of interest to students and teachers in classical studies, archaeology and history.

Genres: History, Spain, Ancient History, Nonfiction

250 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, but very dense. Curchin uses a lot of material culture to supplement his narrative, which emphasizes relationships between segments of the population. Class would not be the right word, as this would imply a political, Marxist historical interpretation. Curchin is a solid historian who seems to have mastered the sources related to Roman Spain. My only complaint would be that I would have liked to have learned more about Republican Roman Spain. Curchin's emphasis is not on the overarching historical narrative.

[John Isles · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle "Conquest and assimilation" doesn't appear on the book's cover, and so I bought the book expecting it to cover more than just those topics. There are short descriptions of each provincial and conventual capital city, but nothing much about the Roman remains that can be seen in Spain today, such as the wonderful mosaics at the archaeological site of Italica. It would also have been interesting to read of Spain's later history under the Romans, its invasion by various Germanic tribes, and partial reconquest under Justinian. As far as it goes, an interesting read, but if you want an introduction to Roman Spain, look elsewhere.