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Old map of Spain
Ancient Spain map. Old map of Spain (Southern Europe - Europe) to print. Old map of Spain (Southern Europe - Europe) to download. From about 900 BC a seafaring people called the Phoenicians who came from what is now Lebanon traded with what is now Spain. They founded a chain of trading settlements along the coast on islands and peninsulas as its shown in the old map of Spain. The Iberians gave the Phoenicians silver in return for wine and olive oil as well as jewelry. The Iberians were heavily influenced by Phoenician culture. The Greeks also traded with Spain the Iberians were also influenced by Greek culture. Meanwhile a Phoenician colony in North Africa called Carthage rose to be powerful and important. After the Romans defeated them in 241 BC the Carthaginians increased their influence in Spain. In 227 BC they founded New Carthage (modern Cartagena). However, in 226 the Carthaginians made a treaty with Spain.
In 197 BC the Romans divided the Iberian peninsula into 2 areas, Hispania Citerior (east of the River Iberius) and Hispania Ulterior. However, the Iberians wanted independence and they rebelled against the Romans. Rome sent a man named Cato who regained control of most of Spain. Nevertheless, the Iberians continued to resist and fighting continued for nearly 200 years as its mentioned in the old map of Spain. Resistance finally ended when the Cantabrians were defeated in 19 BC. Afterwards Spain was gradually integrated into the Roman Empire. The Romans built a network of roads and founded towns and at least parts of Spain became Romanized. Under Roman rule Spain became prosperous. Mining was an important industry. Gold and silver were exported. So were olives, grapes, and grain. Roman Spain also exported a fish sauce called garum.
By the beginning of the 5th century the Roman Empire was crumbling and Germanic peoples invaded. In 409 AD Alans, Sueves and Vandals crossed the Pyrenees and occupied most of Spain. However another Germanic people, the Visigoths became allies of the Romans. In 416-418 they invaded Spain as you can see in the old map of Spain. They defeated the Alans but then withdrew into France. The Vandals then absorbed the remaining Alans but in 429 they crossed to North Africa leaving Spain to the Sueves. However, the Visigoth king Theodoric II (453-466) led an army into Spain and in 456 he crushed the Sueves in battle. Most of Spain came under the rule of the Visigoths.