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Roman Hispania

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Roman Hispania

In 19 BC, after two hundred years of warfare, Augustus finally subdued thelast pockets of Astur and Cantabri resistance, ushering in a long period ofpeace characterised by the political unification of the territory, the imposi-tion of Roman law, the spread of the citizenship model and the assimilationof the native elite, who ruled in Rome’s name and promoted its culture. His-pania was thus definitively integrated in the Roman Empire.

Power and Society

The exhibition on Roman Hispania begins with a presentation of the ele-ments that Rome used to consolidate its authority over the conquered terri-tories and integrate them in the new structure of the empire. On the left,seven pieces symbolise those instruments of power: the law, the army, in-frastructures, new technology, language, religion and currency.

Gaining access to Hispania’s natural resources was the primary goal of theRoman conquest and a vital source of wealth for the empire. The main acti-vities are shown in the display case on the right: mining, the intensive pro-duction of wheat, wine and oil, and the exploitation of marine resources.

Hispano-Roman society, represented here by portraits of men and women,was a complex mosaic of indigenous peoples living alongside newcomersfrom other parts of the empire. Hospitium agreements and relationships ofpatronage were established to facilitate peaceful coexistence between them.The display case contains examples of the bronze legal texts used to seal sucharrangements.

The Hispano-Roman City

The city was the basis of Hispania’s territorial and administrative organisa-tion. It was governed by laws, like those of Osuna and Salpensa, and otherregulations which were displayed on bronze plaques for all to see.

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When a town was granted the covetedstatus of colonia or municipium, its publicspaces were often monumentalised. Thespace recreated in the courtyard is theforum, the seat of legislative, judicialand religious authority. The forum wasthe principal showcase of imperialpower, where portraits of the emperor

and his family were erected as remin-ders of the omnipresent central au-

thority of the state. Statues andinscriptions to honour membersof the ci-ty’s leading familieswere also displayed there.

With Romanisation came theadoption of the state religionand its gods, which were

worshipped alongside Ro-manised versions of an-

cient indigenous andeastern deities. The cultof the deified emperor,an effective propaganda

tool, was a basic pillar ofstate authority and munici-

pal life.

Workshops and Markets

In the city, commercial trans-actions were conducted using

the new coinage. Craftsmen tur-ned out commodities for domestic

and civic consumption: food anddrink, clothing, toiletry items, orna-

ments and articles for furnishinghomes and public spaces. Five display

cases show these products: pottery (ta-bleware and cookware), glassware,bronze and precious metalwork.

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Glass urn >Ring, gold and amethyst

Bowl of terra sigillata

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Games and Entertainment

Venues dedicated to recreation, such as the theatre, the amphitheatre, thecircus and baths, and the activities held there is the focus of this area. Stageperformances, gladiatorial games and horse races allowed the elite to en-hance their prestige and keep the masses under control. Such entertainmentwas offered regularly and free of charge to honour the emperor or the gods.Rulers and upper-class citizens funded and organised these events for per-sonal advancement and to justify their privileged position.

Mosaic with quadriga<

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The House

The Hispano-Roman house was the centre of daily family life and a statussymbol that reflected the wealth of its owner. Five display cases recreate theprimary functional spaces of the house. The atrium was a small open court-yard that provided access to the rest of the rooms. The tablinium was the ow-ner’s private workspace. The dining room or triclinium was one of the mostimportant spaces in the house, where the family, alone or with guests, ga-thered for lunch and dinner. The peristyle, a courtyard garden surrounded by

Urania<

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60Table base

Sarcophagus of the Oresteia

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a colonnade, was a restful place where the family could enjoy the beauty oftamed nature. The lararium, a small domestic shrine for worshipping Laresdeities, the family guardians, was also located in the peristyle. The bedro-oms, sparsely furnished and of varying sizes, were where the family slept andstored their private everyday belongings. The kitchen was a small room thatrevolved around the hearth, with shelves to hold containers and utensils forpreparing, serving and storing food.

The Necropolises

Different types of burial rituals were practised in Hispano-Roman necropo-lises, where a wide variety of individual, family and collective monumentswere erected. A recreation of a columbarium, a small structure with rowupon row of niches, contains cinerary urns and plaques with inscribed dedi-cations for those who chose to be cremated. Those who preferred burialcould have their mortal remains deposited in a wide range of elements, fromlead coffins to opulent marble sarcophagi. Altar stones and stelae marked thetombs, with inscriptions bearing dedications to the Manes, the name, age andlaudable attributes of the deceased, and a wish for the earth to lie light uponthem. Grave goods accompanied them in the tomb and in the afterlife.

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Hunting scene<

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The Countryside

Every city had its own rural territory to supply its needs. Farm fields and pas-tures, villas, villages, cabins, barns, mills and stables formed the rural lands-cape of Hispania. This gallery contains mosaics and objects fromHispano-Roman villas. The mosaics adorned the rooms of the residentialquarters, the pars urbana, a reflection of the owner’s wealth. The dolium andmills represent the pars fructuaria, the barns and work areas, and the parsrustica, the fields that comprised the country estate.

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