Roman Spain (Routledge Revivals): Conquest and Assimilation

by Leonard A. Curchin

The rugged, parched landscape and fierce inhabitants of the Iberian Peninsula resisted Rome's best generals for two centuries. 'Roman Spain' tells the story of this conquest, making use of the latest archaeological evidence to explore the social, religious, political and economic implications of the transition from a tribal community accustomed to grisly human sacrifices to a civilised, Latin-speaking provincial society.

Genres: History, Spain, Ancient History, Nonfiction

250 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1991

Reviews

[Al · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a bad read, but very dense. Curchin uses a lot of material culture to supplement his narrative, which emphasizes relationships between segments of the population. Class would not be the right word, as this would imply a political, Marxist historical interpretation. Curchin is a solid historian who seems to have mastered the sources related to Roman Spain. My only complaint would be that I would have liked to have learned more about Republican Roman Spain. Curchin's emphasis is not on the overarching historical narrative.

[John Isles · Rating 3 out of 5]

The subtitle "Conquest and assimilation" doesn't appear on the book's cover, and so I bought the book expecting it to cover more than just those topics. There are short descriptions of each provincial and conventual capital city, but nothing much about the Roman remains that can be seen in Spain today, such as the wonderful mosaics at the archaeological site of Italica. It would also have been interesting to read of Spain's later history under the Romans, its invasion by various Germanic tribes, and partial reconquest under Justinian. As far as it goes, an interesting read, but if you want an introduction to Roman Spain, look elsewhere.

[Nelson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fairly arid, as befits a historical work driven largely by epigraphy. Those wishing to evade a tl;dr experience in favor of the headlines could probably just read the last two chapters and especially focus on the final three pages. Curchin's savvy suggestion that classicists and prehistorians would do well to familiarize themselves with each others' vineyards to produce a better wine seems to make a lot of sense. To badly mix the metaphor: if you want all the nuts and bolts of Roman Spain distilled to a rather dry brew, this is your book. Ample bibliography.