The ancient civilizations of Phoenicians, Greeks, and Carthaginians founded colonies along the Mediterranean coast of the Iberian Peninsula between 2000 BC and 146 BC, developing trade and exploiting natural resources. The Romans then began conquering the peninsula in 218 BC and were not finished until 19 BC, leaving a lasting legacy in law, language, and religion. After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD, the Visigoths took control of Hispania and established a kingdom that ruled until 711 AD, becoming Romanized by adopting Latin, Roman law, and Catholicism.

1. ANCIENT
HISTORY

2. We talk about Ancient History from the time
civilisations became literate.

3. COLONISATION
The first great ancient European civilisations began
to emerge in the Mediterranean around 2000 BC.

4. They came to Spain to create new trading routes and
use its metal resources.
The Phoenicians founded Gadir (Cádiz) and Malaka
(Málaga)in Spain. They were the best navigators in the
Mediterranean.

5. They came to the Iberian Peninsula to develop trade
and use its natural resources.
The Ancient Greeks founded Rhode ( Rosas) and
Emporion ( Ampurias). They were great sculptors and
influenced many cultures.

6. They became the main cultural influence in Spain
until their defeat by Romans in 146 BC.
The Carthaginians founded Carthago Nova
(Cartagena). They took control of many colonies
after the Phoenicians Empire's fall and often battled
with the Romans.

7. THE ROMANS
The Roman conquest
of the Iberian
Peninsula began in
218 BC and was not
completed until 19
BC.

8. Roman legacy includes the structures they left
behind:

9. LAW LANGUAGE RELIGION
The republican
gobernments of the
USA and France
are based on the
Roman Republic,
and modern law in
many countries is
also based on
Roman Law.
Many modern
European
languages, such as
Spanish, are based
on Latin, the
Roman language.
These languages
are called
Romance
Languages.
The Roman
Emperor
Constantine
converted to
Christianity in AD
312. It then spread
throughout the
empire and even
survived the
empire's fall.
More Roman legacy

10. Important Roman citiziens from Hispania include
Seneca, Trajan and Hadrian.

11. The Roman Empire was divided into two halves, east and
west, in AD 395. The Western Roman Empire collapsed in AD
476.

12. THE VISIGOTHS
After the collapse of Western Roman Empire, a
Germanic tribe called the Visigoths took control of
Hispania

13. Like other Germanic tribes, they were illiterate warriors
who originally came from Dacia (Romania).
After attacking Rome in AD 410, the Visigoths settled in
southern Gaul (France) first, and then moved onto the
Iberian Peninsula.
The Visigothic Kingdom ruled over Hispania from AD 456
until AD 711. During this time they became Romanised.
They learnt to speak Latin, learnt to read and write,
adopted Roman law and Catholicism as their official
religion.
They established their capital in Toledo.