CHAP. 4. (3.)—OF NEARER SPAIN.
The ancient form of the Nearer Spain, like that of many other provinces, is somewhat changed, since the time when Pompey the Great, upon the trophies which he erected in the Pyrenees, testified that 877 towns, from the Alps to the borders of the Farther Spain, had been reduced to subjection by him. The whole province is now divided into seven jurisdictions, those of Carthage1, of Tarraco, of Cæsar Augusta2, of Clunia3, of Asturica4, of Lucus5, and of the Bracari6. To these are to be added the islands, which will be described on another occasion, as also 293 states which are dependent on others; besides which the province contains 179 towns. Of these, twelve are colonies, thirteen, towns with the rights of Roman citizens, eighteen with the old Latian rights, one confederate, and 135 tributary.The first people that we come to on the coast are the Bastuli; after whom, proceeding according to the order which I shall follow, as we go inland, there are the Mentesani, the Oretani, and the Carpetani on the Tagus, and next to them the Vaccæi, the Vectones, and the Celtiberian Arevaci. The towns nearest to the coast are Urci, and Barea7 included in Bætica, the district of Mavitania, next to it Deitania, and then Contestania, and the colony of Carthago Nova; from the Promontory of which, known as the Promontorium Saturni8, to the city of Cæsarea9 in Mauritania, the passage is a distance of 187 miles. The remaining objects worthy of mention on the coast are the river Tader10, and the free colony of Ilici11, whence the Ilicitanian Gulf12 derives its name; to this colony the Icositani are subordinate.
We next have Lucentum13, holding Latian rights; Dianium14, a tributary town; the river Sucro15, and in former times a town of the same name, forming the frontier of Contestania. Next is the district of Edetania, with the delightful expanse of a lake16 before it, and extending backward to Celtiberia. Valentia17, a colony, is situate three miles from the sea, after which comes the river Turium18, and Saguntum19 at the same distance, a town of Roman citizens famous for its fidelity, the river Uduba20, and the district of the Ilergaones21. The Iberus22, a river enriched by its commerce, takes its rise in the country of the Cantabri, not far from the town of Juliobriga23, and flows a distance of 450 miles; 260 of which, from the town of Varia24 namely, it is available for the purposes of navigation. From this river the name of Iberia has been given by the Greeks to the whole of Spain.
Next comes the district of Cossetania, the river Subi25, and the colony of Tarraco, which was built by the Scipios as Carthage26 was by the Carthaginians. Then the district of the Ilergetes, the town of Subur27, and the river Rubricatum28, beyond which begin the Laletani and the Indigetes29. Behind these, in the order in which they will be mentioned, going back from the foot of the Pyrenees, are the Ausetani30, the Lacetani31, and along the Pyrenees, the Cerretani32, next to whom are the Vascones33. On the coast is the colony of Barcino34, surnamed Faventia; Bætulo35 and Iluro36, towns with Roman citizens; the river Larnum37, Blandæ38, the river Alba39; Emporiæ40, a city consisting of two parts, one peopled by the original inhabitants, the other by the Greek descendants of the Phocæans; and the river Ticher41. From this to the Venus Pyrenæa42, on the other side of the Promontory, is a distance of forty miles.
I shall now proceed to give an account of the more remarkable things in these several jurisdictions, in addition to those which have been already mentioned. Forty-three different peoples are subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of Tarraco: of these the most famous are—holding the rights of Roman citizens, the Dertusani43 and the Bisgargitani; enjoying Latian rights, the Ausetani, and the Cerretani, both Julian and Augustan, the Edetani44, the Gerundenses45, the Gessorienses46, and the Teari47, also called Julienses. Among the tributaries are the Aquicaldenses48, the Onenses, and the Bæculonenses49.
Cæsar Augusta, a free colony, watered by the river Iberus, on the site of the town formerly called Salduba, is situate in the district of Edetania, and is the resort of fifty-five nations. Of these there are, with the rights of Roman citizens, the Bellitani50, the Celsenses51, a former colony, the Calagurritani52, surnamed the Nassici, the Ilerdenses53, of the nation of the Surdaones, near whom is the river Sicoris, the Oscenses54 in the district of Vescitania, and the Turiasonenses55. Of those enjoying the rights of the ancient Latins, there are the Cascantenses56 the Ergavicenses57, the Graccuritani58, the Leo- nicenses59, and the Osicerdenses; of federate states, there are the Tarragenses60; and of tributaries, the Arcobrigenses61, the Andologenses62, the Aracelitani63, the Bursaonenses64, the Calagurritani65, who are also surnamed the Fibularenses, the Complutenses66, the Carenses67, the Cincenses68, the Cortonenses, the Damanitani69, the Larnenses70, the Lursenses71, the Lumberitani72, the Lacetani, the Lubienses, the Pompelonenses73, and the Segienses.
Sixty-five different nations resort to Carthage74, besides the inhabitants of the islands. Of the Accitanian75 colony, there are the Gemellenses, and the town of Libisosona76, surnamed Foroaugustana, to both of which have been granted Italian77 rights. Of the colony of Salaria78, there are the people of the following towns, enjoying the rights of ancient Latium: the Castulonenses, also called the Cæsari Venales, the Sætabitani79 or Augustani, and the Valerienses80. The best known among the tributaries are the Alabanenses81, the Bastitani82, the Consaburrenses83, the Dianenses84, the Egelestani85, the Ilorcitani86, the Laminitani, the Mentesani87, both those called Oritani and those called Bastuli, and the Oretani who are surnamed Germani88, the people of Segobriga89 the capital of Celtiberia, those of Toletum90 the capital of Carpetania, situate on the river Tagus, and after them the Viatienses and the Virgilienses91.
To the jurisdiction of Clunia92 the Varduli contribute fourteen nations, of whom we need only particularize the Albanenses93, the Turmodigi94, consisting of four tribes, among which are the Segisamonenses95 and the Segisamaiulienses. To the same jurisdiction belong the Carietes96 and the Vennenses with five states, among which are the Velienses. Thither too resort the Pelendones of the Celtiberians, in four different nations, among whom the Numantini97 were especially famous. Also, among the eighteen states of the Vaccæi, there are the Intercatienses98, the Pallantini99, the Lacobrigenses, and the Caucenses100. But among the seven peoples belonging to the Cantabri, Juliobriga101 is the only place worthy of mention; and of the ten states of the Autrigones, Tritium and Virovesca102. The river Areva103 gives its name to the Arevaci; of whom there are six towns, Segontia104 and Uxama105, names which are frequently given to other places, as also Segovia106 and Nova Augusta, Termes107, and Clunia itself, the frontier of Celtiberia. The remaining portion turns off towards the ocean, being occupied by the Varduli, already mentioned, and the Cantabri.
Next upon these touch the twenty-two nations of the Astures, who are divided into the Augustani108 and the Transmontani, with the magnificent city of Asturica. Among these we have the Cigurri109, the Pæsici, the Lancienses110, and the Zoëlæ111. The total number of the free population amounts to 240,000 persons.
The jurisdiction of Lucus112 embraces, besides the Celtici and the Lebuni, sixteen different nations, but little known and with barbarous names. The number however of the free population amounts to nearly 166,000.
In a similar manner the twenty-four states of the jurisdiction of the Bracari contain a population of 175,000, among whom, besides the Bracari113 themselves, we may mention, without wearying the reader, the Bibali, the Cœlerni, the Gallæci, the Hequæsi, the Limici, and the Querquerni.
The length of the Nearer Spain, from the Pyrenees to the frontier of Castulo, is 607114 miles, and a little more if we follow the line of the coast; while its breadth, from Tarraco to the shore of Olarson115, is 307116 miles. From the foot of the Pyrenees, where it is wedged in by the near approach of the two seas, it gradually expands until it touches the Farther Spain, and thereby acquires a width more than double117.
Nearly the whole of Spain abounds in mines118 of lead, iron, copper, silver, and gold; in the Nearer Spain there is also found lapis specularis119; in Bætica there is cinnabar. There are also quarries of marble. The Emperor Vespasianus Augustus, while still harassed by the storms that agitated the Roman state, conferred the Latian rights on the whole of Spain. The Pyrenean mountains divide Spain from Gaul, their extremities projecting into the two seas on either side.
