Iberians, Phoenicians, Greeks and Carthaginians
Iberians (4000? to 3500B.C.)
The Iberian Peninsula is a mast of land presently occupied by Spain and Portugal. The first known recorded peoples to have settled on this mast of land were the Iberians, hence the name. Given the geographic positions of the peninsula as it relates to North Africa, one theory is that the Iberians migrated from North Africa to the peninsula via the Strait of Gibraltar, some time between 4000 and 3500 B.C. The Strait of Gibraltar separates the rocks at the southernmost point of the Iberian Peninsula from that of the northernmost point of the coast of North Africa.
The Iberians were generally a short and dark skinned people who were primarily agriculturists; some were miners and metal workers. They were politically inclined and possessed a sophisticated written literature. They built villages and towns such as Cartenega, now Tarragana.
Knowledge of the Iberians' existence was gained primarily from their coins and pottery. Many of the coins are inscribed with alphabet. The inscriptions were partly derived from the Phoenicians and Greeks. But most are in an older apparently indigenous script of unknown origin. Additionally, historical references to the Iberians were made by Greek colonists who had settled along the coast of the peninsular around the 6th century, B.C.
Phoenicians (1000B.C. to 500 B.C.)
Phoenicia is a narrow strip of territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea. The strip is designated as ancient and is about 200 miles long and 15 miles wide. To its east, are the Lebanon Mountains, its south, Mount Carmel and north, Kabir, which forms the northern boundary of Lebanon. It is located in what is now Lebanon. Its inhabitants were a unified civilization. They however were not a unified state. They were made up of groups of kingdoms of which Tyre and Sidon were the two dominant cities of their ruling power.
The Phoenicians were called Sidonians in the Old Testament. Homer, the Greek poet referred to them as the "Semites" related to the Canaanites of Ancient Palestine. Phoenicians were the first notable shipbuilders. And thus, they were traders and sailors of their time, B.C. They sailed throughout the Mediterranean and Atlantic Ocean. The Phoenicians came to the Iberian Peninsula as traders around 1000B.C. They developed a flourishing trade and colonies. Over 400 years they built cities such as Cadiz and Malaga. The alphabet was the most significant contribution they made to civilization. Less significant was the purple dye, the invention of glass, the manufacture of textiles, and metal works.
Ancient Greek (500 to 300 B.C.)
The ancient Greek civilization lasted from about 480 to 323 B.C. They had no king and were self-governed. They loved their freedom often philosophizing and warring against each other as to how they should govern themselves. Their primary interest was to colonize land as opposed to trade. The seas were more efficient to travel than the dirt trail roads for the ancient Greeks. Ships were faster and carried more cargo. Access to the sea was so important that most of the settlement they founded were a few miles off its coast. In all the ancient Greeks inhabited about 700 communities clustered around the Mediterranean Sea. They inhabited lands from the Middle East to the Iberian Peninsular, south to the coast of North Africa.
This period was the period of their highest prosperity. Ancient Greece most significant contribution to their settlements was in their cultural accomplishments, study and ideas of ancient Greek philosophers, elements of ancient Greek architecture, and foundation of political principles of democracy. The Greeks invented the idea "west." They were the "west" living west of the powerful nations of Egypt, Phoenicia and Babylon. Ancient Greek is known as the "cradle of western civilization."
Carthaginians (400.BC. to 100B.C.)
The Carthage controlled the coast of North Africa during 900 and 600 B.C. It was this time in power they extended settlements forming a scattered empire. Their settlements included the invasion of the Iberian Peninsula. They conquered most of the land from the Phoenicians and established an economy, which strived on commerce. Their contribution to Spain's economy included mining of silver, manufacture of beds, a lumber industry and production of simple pottery, jewelry and glassware for trade. They also exported wild African animals, fruits and nuts, and ivory and gold. They were not famous for literature and art. Most of their art works were a replica of Egyptians, Greek, and Phoenician originals. They continued to engage in war with Greece and with Rome for 150 years over the Iberian Peninsular.
In the 1st Punic War (264-241B.C.) the Carthaginian General, Hamilcar Barca, invaded Spain. By the second Punic War, (218-201B.C.), the General's son, Hannibal, was defeated by the Romans under Publius Correlius Scipio Aemiliazus, Africanus Numantius. The North African Carthaginians' defeat resulted in the loss of Spain with a victory for the Romans. When the Romans conquered the Carthaginians by the third Punic War (149-146B.C.), the city of Carthage was completely destructed and inhabitants sold into slavery. The Romans now ruled for the next 600 years. During the Second Punic War, the Iberian Peninsula was divided into Hispania Citerion and Hispania Ulterior.
