002 PROTOHISTORIA_english_Maquetación 1 20/02/14 14:39 Página 53 Roman Hispania

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2 Roman Hispania

3 Roman Hispania In 19 BC, after two hundred years of warfare, Augustus finally subdued the last pockets of Astur and Cantabri resistance, ushering in a long period of peace characterised by the political unification of the territory, the imposition of Roman law, the spread of the citizenship model and the assimilation of the native elite, who ruled in Rome s name and promoted its culture. Hispania was thus definitively integrated in the Roman Empire. Power and Society 54 The exhibition on Roman Hispania begins with a presentation of the elements that Rome used to consolidate its authority over the conquered territories and integrate them in the new structure of the empire. On the left, seven pieces symbolise those instruments of power: the law, the army, infrastructures, new technology, language, religion and currency. Gaining access to Hispania s natural resources was the primary goal of the Roman conquest and a vital source of wealth for the empire. The main activities are shown in the display case on the right: mining, the intensive production 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 newcomers from other parts of the empire. Hospitium agreements and relationships of patronage were established to facilitate peaceful coexistence between them. The display case contains examples of the bronze legal texts used to seal such arrangements. The Hispano-Roman City The city was the basis of Hispania s territorial and administrative organisation. It was governed by laws, like those of Osuna and Salpensa, and other regulations which were displayed on bronze plaques for all to see. Lucio Vero >

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5 When a town was granted the coveted status of colonia or municipium, its public spaces were often monumentalised. The space recreated in the courtyard is the forum, the seat of legislative, judicial and religious authority. The forum was the principal showcase of imperial power, where portraits of the emperor and his family were erected as reminders of the omnipresent central authority of the state. Statues and inscriptions to honour members of the ci-ty s leading families were also displayed there. With Romanisation came the adoption of the state religion and its gods, which were worshipped alongside Romanised versions of ancient indigenous and eastern deities. The cult of the deified emperor, an effective propaganda tool, was a basic pillar of state authority and municipal life. Workshops and Markets In the city, commercial transactions were conducted using the new coinage. Craftsmen turned out commodities for domestic and civic consumption: food and drink, clothing, toiletry items, ornaments and articles for furnishing homes and public spaces. Five display cases show these products: pottery (tableware and cookware), glassware, bronze and precious metalwork. Togade figure

6 Bowl of terra sigillata 57 Ring, gold and amethyst Glass urn >

7 Mosaic with quadriga Games and Entertainment Venues dedicated to recreation, such as the theatre, the amphitheatre, the circus and baths, and the activities held there is the focus of this area. Stage performances, gladiatorial games and horse races allowed the elite to enhance their prestige and keep the masses under control. Such entertainment was offered regularly and free of charge to honour the emperor or the gods. Rulers and upper-class citizens funded and organised these events for personal advancement and to justify their privileged position.

8 59 Urania The House The Hispano-Roman house was the centre of daily family life and a status symbol that reflected the wealth of its owner. Five display cases recreate the primary functional spaces of the house. The atrium was a small open courtyard that provided access to the rest of the rooms. The tablinium was the owner s private workspace. The dining room or triclinium was one of the most important spaces in the house, where the family, alone or with guests, gathered for lunch and dinner. The peristyle, a courtyard garden surrounded by

9 60 Table base Sarcophagus of the Oresteia

10 a colonnade, was a restful place where the family could enjoy the beauty of tamed nature. The lararium, a small domestic shrine for worshipping Lares deities, the family guardians, was also located in the peristyle. The bedrooms, sparsely furnished and of varying sizes, were where the family slept and stored their private everyday belongings. The kitchen was a small room that revolved around the hearth, with shelves to hold containers and utensils for preparing, serving and storing food. The Necropolises Different types of burial rituals were practised in Hispano-Roman necropolises, where a wide variety of individual, family and collective monuments were erected. A recreation of a columbarium, a small structure with row upon row of niches, contains cinerary urns and plaques with inscribed dedications for those who chose to be cremated. Those who preferred burial could have their mortal remains deposited in a wide range of elements, from lead coffins to opulent marble sarcophagi. Altar stones and stelae marked the tombs, with inscriptions bearing dedications to the Manes, the name, age and laudable attributes of the deceased, and a wish for the earth to lie light upon them. Grave goods accompanied them in the tomb and in the afterlife. 61

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12 The Countryside Every city had its own rural territory to supply its needs. Farm fields and pastures, villas, villages, cabins, barns, mills and stables formed the rural landscape of Hispania. This gallery contains mosaics and objects from Hispano-Roman villas. The mosaics adorned the rooms of the residential quarters, the pars urbana, a reflection of the owner s wealth. The dolium and mills represent the pars fructuaria, the barns and work areas, and the pars rustica, the fields that comprised the country estate.